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.
Nouwen on Choosing Joy
“Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day.” ― Henri J.M. NouwenHenri Nouwen was a Catholic priest, held a PhD in psychology, was a pastor, teacher, author of 39 books, and a Christian contemplative. He struggled with depression. Many of his writings reveal the struggle he had with choosing joy on a daily basis. In the last ten years of his... life he found meaning and purpose through his participation among a L'Arche community of disabled adults near Toronto as their teacher, friend, and advocate. His writings are widely read and speak to...
A Cry in the Wilderness
“Addiction” might be the best word to explain the lostness that so deeply permeates society. Our addictions make us cling to what the world proclaims as the keys to self-fulfillment: accumulation of wealth and power; attainment of status and admiration; lavish consumption of food and drink, and sexual gratification without distinguishing between lust and love. These addictions create expectations that cannot but fail to satisfy our deepest needs. As long as we live within the world’s delusions, our addictions condemn us to futile quests in “the distant country,” leaving us to face an endless...
Coming to the End of Oneself ….
Coming to the End of Oneself Recently I participated in a webinar on collaborating with other programs and agencies in a multidisciplinary approach to recovery from substance use and addiction. It was a well done professional webinar on building a care team. It listed various collaborative partners in a “holistic” approach to recovery. Recommended agencies included child care services, vocational services, mental health services, medical services, educational services, AIDS/HIV services, legal services, financial services, housing and transportation services, and family services. ...
Which Girl Does God Love?
Today I was cleaning out some old files in my garage. Several notebooks needed to be gone through before being thrown out. One was a Children's Ministry notebook. In 2008, I was completing a series of certification classes for Christian Education. One assignment in a Children’s Ministry semester was answering the question “When have you been distracted by a child’s presence in worship? What might you say to the other worshipers or parents about the child’s contributions to the worshipping community? ...My response: The following is about a time I was distracted in the most wonderful way by...
Benefits of Singing
Stasi Eldredge on Grief
My daughter in law shared this from Stasi Eldredge about grief. Like many others, I know the feeling of slogging through "knee deep mud" in the middle of grief.Some images are so vivid. I can remember a day when I was about 6 or 7. I headed to my friend's house nearby, probably running. There was a vacant lot between my house and hers. I started across the vacant lot and quickly realized that it was like a pit of quick sand from recent rain. I sank down into the mud to a level about mid-shin high and lost both tennis shoes as I struggled to extricate myself from the muck. Thankfully I also...
Ken Sande and Four Promises of Forgiveness
In Steps 8 & 9 of the Twelve Step process, individuals are challenged to both forgive and receive forgiveness. Ken Sande, author of The Peacemaker, has some practical ways to make that process easier to accomplish:"Forgiveness may be described as a decision to make four promises: By forgiving you, I promise that : 1. "I will not dwell on this incident." 2. "I will not bring up this incident ...again and use it against you." 3. "I willl not talk to others about this incident." 4. "I will not let this incident stand between us or hinder our personal relationship." By making and keeping...
Abuse and Boundaries
There are several issues in this "Dear Amy" letter that I find myself speaking to over and over again in the context of teaching "Boundaries" class to women in addiction recovery. When addiction (including co-dependent behavior) interrupts the maturing process in an individual, these issues can continue well into adulthood. At Bethel Village we found we had to implement guidelines that prohibit lending or borrowing clothes and other items from one another because of how some individuals lack sufficient boundaries to feel that they can say "no", then feel resentful or used, and because others...
When You Limp
Rejoice, even when you limp! A Lenten meditation: Psalm 51:8, "Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice." I heard someone refer to this scripture in the context of talk about our spiritual journeying, specifically in it possibly referring to a lamb that is persistently wandering away from the flock and causing the shepherd distress in having to seek it out. The speaker said when a sheep is constantly inattentive to the shepherd and wandering from the flock, the shepherd will break its leg and carry it over his shoulder while it heals, creating a bond of dependency...
Perfect timing
God's timing is always perfect. Ours, on the other hand, is often marred by the desire to make sense out of circumstances and the earnest hope that, given a little more time things can be worked out for the benefit of all involved. It seems fitting on Holy Week that there be at least one sacrifice.......that the hard work and joy of many people building something beautiful be abandoned to others ...willing to take credit for things they have had no part in building and surrendering to the reality that power in this realm does not often deal gently with those willing to give the full measure...