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.
Burning Bushes
I love this image: A dry scrubby shrub, just standing there as if it could do anything more, upon which God bestows the Fire of His Spirit to attract the attention of a curious meandering shepherd…. to speak from its branches …to invite and ignite one who had no idea the ways in which that same Fire of His Spirit would whip up a flame in him, as well, to blaze without being consumed….. a small unbundled handful of kindling used to spark a bonfire that would engulf the walls of the Enemy’s prison fortress and even parch a path through a roiling sea to clear a path to freedom for his...
The Wick Is Smoldering, The Flame Will Come…..A Reflection on Easter and Pentecost
As I was preparing my sermon for Easter Sunday on the boldness of the followers of Christ that came from their witnessing the empty tomb and resurrected Christ, I came across this reminder, an interesting note regarding Christ's disciples and the Holy Spirit: John 20 tells us: “On the evening of that first day of the week, (that Sunday evening, after Christ's Resurrection) when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and...
Neediness
I've come to believe through observing many people that no one gets out of childhood without some scars resulting from the perception that they were not loved the way they wanted to be loved by one or more significant people in their lives...or even from having been loved in ways that were actually quite destructive before they even knew what real love is. Unless one experiences the kind of love that comes only through Christ, she will continue to suffer additional wounds and to think of love as a needy child does.
Easter Sunday 2017 Sermon- Not All Ran Away
Luke 1:1-3 “Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you…” On the night of the Passover, Jesus and his disciples, except for Judas, went together to the hillside garden outside Jerusalem. Judas came shortly afterward with the Roman soldiers who arrested Jesus. Scriptures tell us all of...
Reframe the Concept of Love
This TED talk provides an interesting view of how our culture talks about “love.” In a recent conversation with a young woman contemplating a relationship, her emotions were obviously being tugged at. The perspective presented here is VERY interesting. In our conversation I think we were able to “reframe” the concept of “love” and “relationship” she was considering in terms of a collaboration toward something beautiful and creative with contributions toward something long term and solid by both parties. It surprised me a few days later to discover that she had completely changed her...
NOTES on “The Shack” Movie
NOTES on The Shack: The Shack was a good movie, redemptive and insightful about the nature of good and evil, which is not to say that it's entirely correct. The work of forgiveness was shown realistically as a difficult but necessary task. It does, however, play into what is a desire/belief of many that there is no eternal punishment for sin. "Wisdom's" statement that "sin is its own punishment" is unfortunate (and wrong). In focusing so exclusively on the love of God, the holiness of God is overlooked. We talk to the ladies at Titus 2 often about the nature of God, as revealed in the Bible....
Jesus Speaks For Himself
Lee Stroebel, author of The Case For Christ, talks about his wife's conversion to Christianity and how he set out to disprove the Resurrection of Jesus in order to "rescue" her from the "cult" she'd joined. Her Christianity caused a clash of worldviews in their family. It was a problem for him. The outcome wasn't exactly what he expected. "Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce...
Not All Ran Away……
Not all ran away....... In a sermon listeners were called to reflect on Jesus' sorrow as he approached Jerusalem in Luke 19:41-44 at the beginning of the final week of his life. Just before that in Luke 9:51-55 James and John had asked Jesus if they should bring down heavenly fire to destroy those with Inhospitable, unreceptive or unrepentant hearts in a Samaritan village on the way to their destination in Jerusalem. Jesus promptly rebuked them and made It clear that even now, after three years they still didn't understand his mission in the world. In that sermon, at one point a...
Reprised…….A Church Observed
I wrote the post "A Church Observed", included below, in February 2009. What I saw then and what I see now is very exciting....people in congregations across our community doing great things! But the potential is even greater for certain functions if we bring various efforts together and meet the larger need in a more efficient and effective way. Here is one idea..... I have been pleased to see the birth of one new ministry that I think has HUGE potential for people in our community....the incorporation and setting up of CROSSing Paths, Inc. ...... This is an independent cross-church,...
Why vulnerability is so necessary in the healing ministry of counseling
It's been "one of those days" when everything on my calendar went smoothly and God was so palpably present that it was........sacred! Even a 25 minute car ride to take a young lady for lab work was precious..... conversation so intimate and powerful that I could just feel God leaning over the seat, listening in and smiling. : "Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.” 1 Thessalonians 2 It is during such times that I am privileged to hear some of the sweet revelations that God shares in the hearts of these ladies who...