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.
A Glimpse at Letting Go
It's strange, the way you can receive something without knowing how much you'll need it a short time later. Last week I wrote to you about the difference 5 minutes can make — how taking a few minutes to listen in a prayerful way can tell you what you most need to know or hear or do. Who knew that just one week after receiving the truth of that experience and sharing it with you, Kirk and I would be sitting in our darkened living room, using that very same practice to determine if it was time to let one of our cats go? It's true. We did that very thing Friday night. It's what helped me know...
To Go Where None Have Gone Before….
"All is not lost if you fall into a black hole – you could simply pop up in another universe, according to Stephen Hawking. The celebrated physicist has a new theory about where lost information ends up after being sucked into a black hole, a place where gravity compresses matter to a point where the usual laws of physics break down. In a public lecture in Stockholm, Sweden, Prof Hawking said: “If you feel you are in a black hole, don’t give up. There’s a way out.” He said he had discovered a mechanism “by which information is returned out of the black hole”. He was speaking at the KTH Royal...
The Samaritan Woman Engages Jesus in Theological Discourse (Using Wesley’s Quadrilateral !)
This was first written on 1/10/2011. Recently it has been updated to reflect some additional appreciations of this Scripture! I was asked to read John 4:5-42 and prepare a prayer based on the text. So, I was reading with attentiveness. As a result I saw something in this conversation between Jesus and the Samaritan woman I'd never seen before. As Methodists, we believe that there are 4 commonly employed standards used for formulating and evaluating theology, 4 "tests" of truth- Scripture, Reason, Tradition, and Experience, commonly referred to as the Wesleyan Quadrilateral. As I read...
TR∩ST ?
Today in the dining room at the campground we each received a colorful bracelet with small lettered beads that spelled out "TRUST GOD." When I opened my bag to put on my bracelet, the "U" was upside down, so I turned it over. On the reverse side, it was still upside down, so mine said "TR∩ST GOD." I looked around at others' bracelets and their "U"s were all turned right side up. Only mine, it seemed, had been carelessly threaded upside down. As I left the dining room, I wondered how, out of 70 or more bracelets, I would receive the one with an upside down "U". Then it occurred to me,...
Saving Turtles
I belong to an online community, "Still Forming", that is directed by Christianne Squires, a Chistian spiritual director from Winter Park, Florida.. Her husband Kirk wrote to the community this week about his adventures in rescuing three turtles. I, too, am a turtle rescuer. Many a turtle has been removed from harm's way, sometimes at the risk of my own safety some would say. And I realize that many fishermen find that practice annoying, as the turtles are a bain to their pleasure. But I hate to see anything squashed on the roadway simply because the roadway happened to be between where...
Healing Tradition of the Church
The Church has a tradition rich in healing power.....Jesus exercised it in a very specialized way, "laomai". It is one way in which therapeuo (healing) is accomplished. And healing is a part of salvation (restoration). Saddleback Church is planning its second annual conference on "Mental Health and the Church." Last year's conference sessions are available on You Tube. Some of us at Lynn Haven UMC are ministering to sick and hurting people in a variety of ways and have... the opportunity to do even more through the power of Christ! In intercessory prayer, in counseling, in lay pastoring, in...
Using What’s Close At Hand
At DIG this week we talked about activities in which we engage to find COMFORT, UNDERSTANDING, or RELIEF in our lives. Here’s the list we made. Add others that you think of! Companion animals Prescription medications People who listen and help us gain perspective Relationship with God Sense of fulfillment, productivity Accomplishing small goals Completion of tasks that leads to feeling empowered Sleep Chocolate or other comfort foods- flavorful teas Being in the Word Soothing bath, hot tub Music Movies Reading Taking a drive in country, especially in pleasant weather...
Courageous Patience
Today’s Sunday School lesson on Knowing and Following the Will of God was on the topic of “Wait.” This, without a doubt, was the hardest lesson of the 12 part series. James 5:7-11 “Courageous patience” 7 Therefore, brothers and sisters, you must be patient as you wait for the coming of the Lord. Consider the farmer who waits patiently for the coming of rain in the fall and spring, looking forward to the precious fruit of the earth. 8 You also must wait patiently, strengthening your resolve, because the coming of the Lord is near. 9 Don’t complain about each other, brothers and sisters, so...
ENTJ -Personality or Purpose
I was never a big fan of Personality Theories. They seemed just a little too cute, concise, and predictive in a world that seemed to be anything but cute, concise, or predictable. Over the years in various educational and corporate settings, I have undergone testing using several personality typing schemas. The most common and widely referenced personality typing system is probably Myers-Briggs. Recently I have had several counseling professional friends reference my ENTJ personality, recognizing it from their own study and work with MB typing and empathizing with me in my sense that I...
Firsts, Lasts, and Always
Today marks a landmark in our family. Our oldest grandchild, dear sweet Catie Byrd, is settling into her college dorm room at Mercer University, five hours away. She and her parents left yesterday with their and her cars loaded down with all the accoutrements necessary for her living away from home. I know that the most important things she will need for this new chapter in her life are not in the boxes and bags in the cars, however. Those things are within her…….faith in God and a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, quality education, creativity, passion to serve others, confidence...