About the Author
Cathy Boyd Byrd invites others to join her in considering topics of interest to those on the Christian spiritual journey…..discipleship, spirituality, mental health, Christian growth, and Bible study. Cathy enjoys working with others as they transition from emotional emergency and brokenness to spiritual emergence and abundant living! Many of the topics about which Cathy writes are interrelated as experienced in her own life and in the lives of those with whom she works in counseling, teaching, and case management, and in friendships. She believes that sharing our journey of Christian growth and spirituality helps us know God and ourselves better and connects us with others!
Cathy is a Christian Educator and Life Recovery Counselor, and an ordained deacon through Christian Leaders Institute. She serves as Community Outreach MInister at Lynn Haven United Methodist Church. She is a student (disciple) of the Holy Spirit and shares with her students (disciples) the things the Lord teaches her through Bible study and contemplation, incorporating experiences interpreted through the Word, cherished traditions of her faith, and reasoning that comes from seeking the mind of Christ in accountable community. She was widowed in August 2020 after 48 years of marriage to Bill Byrd, is mother of 2 and grandmother of 5. Her journey of faith has been lifelong and continues to be an adventure with the trailblazer and guide, Jesus Christ!
Cathy is the founder and program manager for a Christian women’s residential life recovery program, Titus 2 Partnership, Inc.(www.titus2.life) in Panama City, Florida.
The Reality of Evil
One doesn't have to look very far to see terrifying, destructive, horrific acts in the world. Jesus said don't be surprised and he said it would get worse as time goes on. He also told us what to do about it. Matthew 9:6-13.....Jesus' instruction to the apostles on prayer......"Pray in this manner......Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.." John 17....Jesus' high priestly prayer for believers....."protect them from the evil one." 1 Peter 5:8...."Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour."...
Anatomy of a Spiritual Attack
There are moments when one sees a situation playing out in a way that looks so familiar it almost feels like deja’ vu. But the second time through a sudden awareness dawns: this is a spiritual attack. It had all the same preceding characteristics…… rapid onset of multiple emotionally stressful events which, in the past, would have sent the person affected running from the situation and lapsing into old behaviors, having destroyed months of recovery work. But because of strong community support and serious recovery work, including having just completed her relapse prevention plan, old...
Biblical Principle in Life Recovery Practice- Put Off and Put On
Jesus told a story of a man who had an evil spirit cast out. The evil spirit wandered in the wilderness, then returned to find the man’s soul “empty and swept clean.” The evil spirit gathered seven more spirits worse than himself, returned to the man and he was worse off than before. Ever since I have worked in healing ministry, that story has reminded me of the reality of a relapse. People can get themselves “empty and swept clean” through detox, through checking into rehab where they are cloistered away from their triggers, through white knuckling it and attending meetings every day,...
Building Faith Capacity and Social Capacity
In 1997 I spent six nights in a Bay County mental health hospital, the first night in the suicide watch unit, although I had never considered or attempted suicide. For about 2 months I had been plagued with delusions, even hallucinations, and confusion which I tried hard to overcome by personal will and then by simple denial.. I had had to take a leave from my job because of decompensated functioning. I was confused, but not despairing. I knew God was present with me, but it was time to deal with some things in my life that I had skated over and ignored, hidden and denied.. God knew it was...
Faith-Informed Care for Life-Limiting Dysfunctions
We can do a much better job of dealing with substance abuse if we recognize it is not just a "medical problem, " as some say. It is also a mental health problem, a spiritual problem and for some it is a moral problem, a financial problem, and a relational problem. It will not be solved with a single approach. I have advocated for inclusion of spiritual education and faith-informed counseling for years.......but it simply doesn't seem to have traction with agencies and thought leaders, although individuals, especially if they themselves have a strong spiritually-directed life, will...
Spiritual Senses
I had a sweet conversation with someone who shared that she had realized that all these years she'd been reading the Bible in a literal sense only and missing some of its meaning and richness. She said she has begun to recognize that there is spiritual vision and spiritual hearing and spiritual understanding that goes above and beyond reading words at face value. With tears in her eyes she said, "I think I have begun to receive spiritual eyes and ears! And reading the Bible is becoming so much more personal." We talked about Paul's experience after his Damascus Rd. encounter. We talked about...
Simple Apology
Mother’s Day remembrances have a way of stirring tender and also sometimes painful memories in hearts. I recall a friend who years ago shared a story about a family member, a young girl, who was a lovely child and very sweet. She was also a child who, like myself, was sturdily built. She often endured bullying from other children. But more sad and unfortunate, was that she experienced some of the same from her own grandmother. The child’s grandmother was slim and attractive. Unfortunately, she often made references to the child’s weight, size, and her eating habits in front of and to the...
Teaching Talkers to Become Walkers
Virtually all of the women who come to us for residential recovery profess faith in Christ. Some have been baptized multiple times. They generally hope ( and some have assurance) that their profession of faith frees them from the penalty of eternity in hell. But somehow the victorious life of freedom from the power of temptation and sin in the here and now has eluded them. Our task is to help them come to know freedom from the power of temptation and sin by coming to know themselves better and to know Christ more intimately and personally through study of and obedience to the principles,...
“Only God is good.”
In counseling with a woman in relapse to drugs she said, “I’m a good person.” That is an attempt to excuse and justify her addiction. Every time I hear that statement the thought occurs, “Compared to whom?” The only standard of comparison for a believer is Christ. Just because you have no felonies, your family still speaks to you, you have avoided jail and have no severe medical consequences from your addiction does not constitute good. Jesus asked the rich young ruler who called him “good teacher”, “Why do you call me of ‘good’? Only God is good.” Jesus is in essence saying to him, for the...
Strangely Warmed Hearts
I have many times observed the dual nature of fire. Rightly controlled and contained to accomplish particular tasks, it is tremendous tool for humanity…….smelting iron ore, refining precious metals, cooking, heating a home, as well as in in the production of many products that make life comfortable, efficient and safe. When it is allowed outside of contained and controlled uses it can be a terrible, wide-spread destructive force. Refining Fire or Fire of Self Righteous Justification For several weeks God has been giving me little nudges and reminders to do a word study on “fire” and...