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.
Be Careful About Whom You Quote in Your Internet Posts….
This is another commonly referenced internet quote from Dr. Bob Moorehead’s “Words Aptly Spoken” is this: The Paradox of Our Age By Dr. Bob Moorehead The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers; wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less; we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families; more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense; more knowledge, but less judgment; more experts, yet more problems; more medicine, but less wellness. We drink too much, smoke too much, spend...
The Gospel According to the Internet…..Check Out What You Read
A friend sent this to me and asked for my opinion. "Why Did Jesus Fold the Napkin? This is one I can honestly say I have never seen circulating so; if this touches you, you may want to forward it. Why did Jesus fold the linen burial cloth after His resurrection? I never noticed this.... ... The Gospel of John (20:7) tells us that the napkin, which was placed over the face of Jesus, was not just thrown aside like the grave clothes. The Bible takes an entire verse to tell us that the napkin was neatly folded, and was placed separate from the grave clothes. Early Sunday morning, while it was...
Taking Tests…..
Today I remembered something I hadn't thought about in a very long time. Years ago I was interviewing for a rather coveted job in sales career ambitions. At the interview I was asked to take a personality inventory, which I did. The next day I received a call and was asked to retake the test, that the results had been "ambiguous".....?????? "How does one have an ambiguous personality inventory?", I wondered. So I took it again. I then got another call and was told by t...he interviewing manager that the HR person had told him after the first "ambiguous" results that I was either under a...
How We Think….
"Enough!" A word expressing a posture of satisfaction, contentment and peace? Or an exclamation expressing exasperation and wanting something about current circumstances to end? In which place do you find yourself today?Yesterday I was talking to a friend about a couple of other words which, depending upon their context can have opposite meanings or implications. One was "boldness". In a biblical word study I discovered that in some contexts "boldness" implies arrogance, defiance, brashness, pridefulness, and a host of negative connotations. However, once the Apostles experienced Pentecost,...
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...