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.
Mentoring Types
https://ed4hhs.com/blog/9-mentors-you-need Below are definitions of nine different types of mentors you should have in your life. Make it your goal to have these different types of people as part of your mentoring team to help you succeed. In addition, strive to fill one or more of these roles in someone else’s life. The rewards are tremendous! 1. The Challenger - Challengers ask the tough questions that help you analyze your situation realistically. 2. The Cheerleader - A Cheerleader is someone who will be genuinely happy for you when you succeed and who will cheer you...
Thoughts on Immigration Discussion
"When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were once foreigners." (Leviticus 19:33-34) One pastor cited this Leviticus quote regarding how we are to treat immigrants. My thoughts are this: “Resides among you in your land," implies peaceful co-existence and a certain amount of adaptation to the adopted country. Repeatedly in Scripture foreigners who chose to live among God's people were expected to follow the same rules- i.e. observing Passover, observing...
Accountability and Spiritual Growth
Accountability is a key issue in community as lived and practiced at Titus 2. Those who cannot accept being held accountable and will not hold others accountable do not succeed in Titus 2. This article by Ashley Nelson has been adapted to the needs of our students, instead of as written for women in ministry, so that these points can be discussed with our students. I hope it helps others. 3 WAYS ACCOUNTABILITY ADVANCES THE KINGDOM OF GOD 2/1/17 (adapted for Titus 2 students from original article by Ashley Nelson at womensministry.net) We are not meant to walk the road...
Searching The Word
When I was a child, about six years old, we had a neighbor, Mrs. Ludlam, who babysat for my parents. My brothers and I would spend nights there from time to time with her. She was very attentive to us. She and I would sit on her sofa and play a "game". I would make a "wish", open the large Bible she had and we would search for the words, "And it came to pass"....Mrs. Ludlam helped birth in me a desire to search the Word. It was a silly game with a child and not very soun...d, doctrinally. But it helped foster an expectation that God hears our requests and that God is engaged with and...
Theology of Works- Part II
I had written on about my own evolving personal “Theology of Works” in another post in response to the NYTimes’ article on Bart Campolo’s loss of faith and establishment of what some have called a “church of atheism”. Today I continue those thoughts: Someone critical of my approach to recovery (for herself, in particular) observed that Methodists "worship" John Wesley. How obtuse can one's vision and hearing be? In an effort to not present things that I teach in a dogmatic way, I will often say...."John Wesley observed”…..or “John Wesley's take on this is"....as opposed to other...
Theology of “Works”- Part I
From the Facebook page of Cathy Byrd on 1/3/17, commenting on a news article about Bart Campolo’s abdication from Christianity and his new “Church of Atheism”……exalting friendship, community, and being and doing good: Tony Campolo's son, Bart, has eschewed Christianity for secular humanism...being good without God. This article references a Tennessee pastor, Ed Stetzer, who suggested that Bart's parents were at least partly responsible for not having assured that he had a personal relationship with Christ, emphasizing instead simply the notion of community, friendship, and doing good. I...
Reflecting on Confession and Scapegoating the Church
Oh, my! Jill Carattini reads my mind! I awoke this morning with a strong sense of wanting to express an observation I have had recently about people who criticize the church or drop out of being part of it because people there have hurt their feelings. I have been as offended by people within the church at times as anyone else. But I do not attend church BECAUSE of other people. I attend because of my relationship with Christ and Christ having established the church as the means by which he would continue his work in the world. Although Christ IS perfect, his people and his instituted church...
Oh, That’s Just Cathy….
For about the umpteenth time in my life, I have participated in a Myers-Briggs personality inventory. We did it in conjunction with a workshop on Radical Hospitality with church volunteers, along with a Spiritual Gifts inventory. These are two key components in evaluating a believer's understanding of her call to ministry, defined by S.H.A.P.E (spiritual gifts, "heart" or passion, abilities, personality, and experience).. Rev. Rick Warren made this popular as a part of training volunteers in his book "The Purpose Driven Life" about 15 years ago. Our students at Titus 2 go through this...
Living Amends…..Walking the Talk
"Living amends".....walking the talk. A lot of people in recovery feel regrets, surrender resentments, and make apologies during Steps 8&9 in the Twelve Step process. That is one's personal responsibility. In recovery, however, you cannot determine or demand that another person's response to the amend meet your desires or expectations. Some will accept it. Others will not. And some will simply "wait and see." Their response is not your responsibility. Your requirement is to be faithful to God's call to make the amends. Then let it go. If someone chooses not to be reconciled in...
Completed Love
Thinking about God's standard for Perfect Love and the desire to be perfected in such love as we grow: 1 Corinthians 13: 3-13 (From The Message) 3 If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.... 4-7 Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have. Love doesn’t strut, Doesn’t have a swelled head, Doesn’t force itself on others, Isn’t always “me first,” Doesn’t fly off the...