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.
Concealed Weapon
All the conversation in the most recent news cycle about failure of courage on the part of some who hid instead of defending our children reminds me of times when I was deciding whether or not to apply for a concealed carry permit at a time and during circumstances in which I believed there was a real potential risk to me and others. Would I take the life of someone threatening me ? Threatening those I love? Threatening those for whom I was responsible? Threatening unknown indefensible innocents? Threatening random strangers? What could sacrificing my own life without any effort to confront...
Seeing Through a Glass Darkly
Two years ago the Lord directed my attention through several devotionals, sermons, and events to the topic of “pruning” and “wood” over about a three week period. It was so frequent, pointed, and obvious that I could not miss all the references that were piling up around me. And the context was generally in reference to “dead wood”, which seemed a little bit ominous at the time. However, living under large old oaks, I am aware of how necessary such “dead wood” pruning is from time to time. During the latter part of those weeks, I was surprised to hear that my two brothers had been to a...
“Where in the Bible Did Jesus Say…..”
I am apparently a safe and quick reference resource for some people who need a ready answer to something they remember from Scripture but may not have a Bible close at hand or may not be adept at use of Bible search applications or concordances. I am happy to fill that role, especially if I happen to be close to my desk or a computer where I can access the concept, quote, or chapter and verse they are seeking quickly, too. Sometimes the question leads to more in depth discussion to assure that we have the right verse for the moment's application and the verse we've identified is...
Eagles Raised in Barnyards
I enjoy eagle stories...(imagine that...a Byrd who graduated from Auburn University!) and this blog is a keeper! Are you an eagle raised in a barnyard? By Patricia Holbrook Atlanta Journal Constitution 10-28-17 A farmer was walking by a field one day, when he spotted a small bird on the ground. While carefully approaching, he realized that the baby bird was an eagle. Excited about his find, he brought the eagle to his barnyard, where soon it started living and behaving like the chickens. Several months went by when one of the farmer’s friends stopped to visit. While observing his...
Progressivism, Liberalism, and Revival
“Progressive” - favoring or advocating progress, change, improvement, or reform, as opposed to wishing to maintain things as they are, especially in political matters; characterized by such progress, or by continuous improvement; going forward or onward; passing successively from one member of a series to the next; proceeding step by step. “Liberal”- favorable to progress or reform, as in political or religious affairs; of, pertaining to, based on, or advocating liberalism, especially the freedom of the individual and governmental guarantees of individual rights and liberties; favoring or...
Life Themes
I began journaling in earnest in 1990. In 2005, I was introduced to the world of internet weblogging. As I look back at my entries, I can observe how God has brought me through from "old life" and purpose to "new life" and purpose one step at the time, one change at the time, one stage at the time, one revelation at the time. Progressive revelation of God, individually through circumstances, Word, Spirit, and the guidance of others and progressive revelation for his people collectively through the red line of his leading observed in Scriptures, Old Testament and New, are principles that i...
“Hearken to the Voice of My Cry….”
Psalm 5: 1-3 Give ear to my words, O Lord, Consider my meditation. Give heed to the voice of my cry, My King and my God, For to You I will pray. My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; In the morning I will direct it to You, And I will look up. Seeing the Psalmist’s repetitions and other repetitions elsewhere in the Word, I look carefully at the series. What are the subtle changes from one phrase to the next? Is there a movement, a progression, a direction expressed in such repetitions? I find that there often is. Some examples of what appear, at first glance, to be repeated phrases...
For Such A Time As This……
(This post was originally written in July 2005, well over a year and a half before I left my pharma sales career and began graduate school to become a Christian counselor.) Our Wednesday morning group is studying the book of Esther. If you recall, Ahasuerus (AKA Xerxes) was having a rowdy night with the boys and commanded Queen Vashti to appear before them. She declined. (Any number of reasons can be inferred- among them 1.) she knew that to do so might entail being subjected to lewd and lascivious behavior given their then current state of inebriation or ,2.) she was pregnant perhaps...
God, You and I Dance
This week in our church's Renewal sessions, Rev. Mark Nysewander talked about life in the Holy Spirit. He said that life following God's will is not so much a structured rigid "blueprint", as it is leaping into a river and going with the flow, allowing it to take you where it will. Then he likened it to a dance in which one follows closely the cues and lead of the other. It reminded me of a couple of things seen and recorded in my journals years ago about dancing with God....... “Imagine you and the Lord Jesus walking down the road together. For much of the way the Lord’s...
(Imperfect) Metaphors for The Trinity
I have heard different people try to describe this mystery of the Trinitarian nature of God through various metaphors. How do we attempt to describe and understand it? Metaphors- - Egg shell, white, yolk- not best choice….3 different and distinct and even disposable parts. (same as with an apple as a metaphor) - 3 leaf clover- Three parts, same substance…Each identical to the other and related to one another in common connectedness. An elementary way to view the Trinity, but each leaf is still distinct and different from the other, just of the same substance, like clones coexisting...