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.
The Spiritual Task of Henry Nouwen
"The great spiritual task facing me is to so fully trust that I belong to God that I can be free in the world--free to speak even when my words are not received; free to act even when my actions are criticized, ridiculed, or considered useless.... I am convinced that I will truly be able to love the world when I fully believe that I am loved far beyond its boundaries." -Henri J.M. Nouwen, "Reaching Out: The Three Movements of the Spiritual Life"Henri Nouwen's work has always interested me. I haven't always understood it. His book, "Wounded Healer", was one I had...
Pill Popping Morality Examined
Pill Popping Morality June 17, 2014Breakpoint’s John Stonestreet writes about potential fallout from possible new prescription therapies on the horizon for PTSD or other mental health disorders involving flashbacks or bad memories or treatment to improve behavior in these articles: http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/entry/13/25342 “Anesthetic or...
Emotional Ambush
Emotional Ambush April 28, 2014A life recovery student and I had a delightful lunch together today while we worked on case management. The chapter we were...
Doers of the Word
Doers &...
Creative Dislocation
“Creative Dislocation” May 12, 2014“Creative Dislocation moves people into settings, relationships and dynamics intentionally different from the norm in order to enhance the potential for transformation. The unfamiliar heightens our senses and attention because it is intriguing, less...
Reflection on Kuban’s “Why Christians Give”
Why Do Christians Give? Philanthropy or Christianity? Why do Christians give? It is a simple question, yet the answer provided to many Christians is often vague at best. Many Christians hear a variety of reasons for giving such as: “God has been generous to you so you should be generous in return,” “It belongs to God and you are just redistributing it,” “There is joy in giving,” “It will teach you many spiritual lessons,” or “It is a good thing to help out your fellow man”.These reasons are all truthful, but I fear they miss the point. I have trouble separating or seeing the difference...
Our Witness
"Your life may be the only Bible some people ever read." This is something I have heard time and time again in my Christian journey. I believe the truth of this adage was affirmed when the United Methodist Church decided a few years ago... to adopt an additional vow in its membership pledge. New members and existing members, in receiving new members into the church, covenant with one another to support the church with their "prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness." This has been something that I have been careful to follow since it was changed by the General Conference. I have...
God Restores
Nearly two decades ago, God did a work of restoration in my own life. In gratitude and praise, I asked Him what He wanted from me. I was prepared to do whatever He desired- teach, travel, witness, write, labor, etc. God’s response to my prayers was, “I will bring them to you. Just do what you’re given to do each day.” I have been doing that as the Lord led – facilitating a women’s depression impact group, teaching in church and equipping adults to use their gifts in service to others, volunteering with Celebrate Recovery since its...
Unanswerable Questions
Jill Carattini's devotionals at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries challenge me. Today she writes about unanswerable questions. I chuckled as I read, "more than a few of my plaguing inquiries were probably the wrong inquiries." God led me to that conclusion in mid-life and I learned to be more comfortable with the ambiguity of life and trust God more fully. I also learned to embrace Deuteronomy 29:29: "The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law." Loose translation: God has...
Guard Your Heart
Proverbs 4:23 Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. "Guarding" one's heart (and mind).....People immersed in an infatuation with the popular culture seem to be oblivious to how to do that or even that it needs to be done. I see ...time and energy spent on music that fails to uplift one's spirit, entertainment that is downright depressing, distractions in which God has said we are not to indulge like astrology or gambling or altered...