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.
Rescued from “Closet Emergencies”
What does the phrase "closet emergency" bring to your mind? Maybe needing new attire for a special event or an overhaul of wardrobe color and style? Well, for... John Brewington, who has reinforced a number of closets for women in recovery at the request of Cathy Byrd, he knows exactly what it means......and what it needs! Additional brackets, longer screws, shelving, sturdy rods, and locating wall studs! John rescued two Titus 2 students from another "closet emergency" yesterday when they walked into their room and found all of their hanging clothes lying on the floor of the closet and...
Sometimes Shame is an Appropriate Response to Behavior
Ann Graham Lotz, Rev. Billy Graham's daughter, referenced “The Fellowship of the Unashamed” in her radio devotional yesterday. In case you are unfamiliar with it, here it is: The Fellowship of the Unashamed I am a part of the fellowship of the Unashamed. I have the Holy Spirit... Power. The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure. I am finished and done with low living, sight walking, small...
Cultivating Wheat and Tares or Caring for Sheep
What some people don't understand is that when one has been called to care for others in a spiritual sense, the well-being of those others is of paramount importance. When threats come against those who are vulnerable, it is the responsibility of the shepherd, or in the case of those in Christian ministry, undershepherds under authority of the owner of the flock, to exercise care over the flock to the extent of the threat.....sometimes even from within the flock, as dangers... can slip in unobserved. ......if this is the operative metaphor out of which one believes oneself to be operating....
Progression of a Stronghold…..
Be careful what you allow into your heart and mind: Impression---> Obsession---> Oppression------> Possession One seldom realizes she is in the grasp of something until after it's too late to easily and safely escape unscathed. ... Our culture is full of people and concepts vying for one's attention. If one has no "guard" over her heart, as called to do by the Bible, then she is wide open to what may appear to be harmless fascinations.....until they are intertwined into her heart and mind and then, when it has insinuated itself into her beliefs, identity, and passion it will likely...
Spiritual Abuse Defined and Discussed
Recently, I was moved unexpectedly to tears by a report of a practice by individuals purporting to be "Christian" in regard to what was, as it was described to me, a definite abuse of a Christian sacrament. When I checked with someone else, who had also observed the danger of religious abuse inherent in the situation, I discovered that it was not entirely as it had been described to me, but it did show how quickly individuals, especially new Christians or poorly instructed Christians, can be misled and end up in a situation where religious abuse can occur. Mark Fehlauer, a...
Some things can’t be fixed……
Some things just can't be fixed......When we were in the final throes of our addition/remodel this past year, the hardwood flooring was a challenge. We had had hardwood installed in the existing portions of the house when we moved in ten years ago. We were able to locate the same flooring for the added spaces, which was an amazing feat. However, the installation of the flooring became a nightmare. Again and again, the flooring would not stick in some places. The contractor had to have return calls by flooring installers at least 5 times. Then a doorway leaked and ruined a section of flooring...
Putting words to our experiences of God…….
Christiane Squires, a trained spiritual director, writes about finding one’s shared language with God — how the way you and God communicate is a language all its own and doesn't have to look or sound the way everyone else's does. “Where, in your life experience, have you had what you would name to be an experience of God? What were the circumstances? How would you describe what God was like in that moment? Recurring Moments Perhaps for you, your experiences of God happen in a certain environment — when you go walking in the woods, or when you experience worship, or when you're surrounded by...
When the impossible becomes real……
Laser-"light amplified by stimulated emission of radiation” - Such a common word today, “laser”. I never knew it was short hand for a very complex concept that was once thought impossible! Charles Townes persevered in bringing about the reality of the laser. Perhaps his other strongly held belief – that science and religion are “quite parallel, much more similar than most people think and that in the long run, they must converge”, will also one day be shown to be not only possible, but quite real! Charles Hard Townes (July 28, 1915 – January 27, 2015) was an American Nobel...
The Cure for Addiction…..It’s not what you think
Jesus told a parable: "There was a man who had a demon cast out. The evil spirit wandered in the wilderness. It returned and found the man's soul empty and swept clean. The evil spirit gathered seven more evil spirits who returned to th...e man and he was worse off than before." I have long said that this is a classic picture of relapse.....push it out, it comes back worse.....every time....UNLESS......you fill up the empty space with things that prevent it from coming back. One cannot simply cast aside one's old "people, places, and things." Instead, one must have new, engaging, meaningful,...
Loneliness…..Leading to Friendship with Christ
Yesterday I preached at Mathison Retirement Center about friendship with Christ and the loneliness that we may encounter in life. It seemed to resonate with some of the residents. One, in particular, shared her feeling of loneliness during the first few months after she moved to Mathison. The single most debilitating condition that people battle in the world today? Loneliness......not to be confused with actually BEING alone. Loneliness has nothing to do with how many people are around. It has to do with one's ability to form attachments...emotionally and spiritually with other people. Our...