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.
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…….
CBB 2/2/15 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...
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...
Religion and Spirituality…….Map and Territory
Spirituality and religion are not the same things, but religion can serve a useful role in helping mold and define our spirituality and facilitate spirituality's expression. As William Countryman notes: "Map is not territory." But a map helps one become familiar with the territory. I love one translation of Hebrews that calls Christ the "pathfinder and guide for our faith"....(instead of autho...r and finisher of our faith). Christ's life and teaching defines the territory's terrain and shows us how to adventure there safely and confidently! He instituted the church through his disciples. It...
Depression to the Max
I have been writing, in small doses with short descriptive stories, about an experience that happened after a tumble into depression that went undiagnosed for over a year when I was in my early 40's. After I shared with my doctor that "something just wasn't right" and cried during my annual visit, I was patted on the hand, told that I was peri-menopausal, and told to take Remifemin and Oil of Evening Primrose. A year later I spent six days in a psychiatric hospital and had to take a short-term disability leave from work, engaged in counseling and self-care, to address the depression. It...
A “Come As You Are” Party
Anne Lamott's personal page bio includes this: "Twenty-three years ago a very hung-over Anne Lamott stumbled into a small church and started what was to be a long journey towards sobriety and sanity. There were no instant miracles on that road, but many small mercies that for Lamott added up to a growing awareness of God's grace. She soon came to understand that, to her, religion was a "come as you are" party, with no need to pretend to be anything but your own true self." .......interesting words, "to her, religion was a "come as you are" party, with no need to pretend to be anything but...
Living Out Loud….
Living out loud.....that's what I feel like I'm doing at times. Everyday I have a lot of explaining that I do.....Scripture, biblical principles, cultural deceptions, and why we do what we do in the ministry. I answer lots of questions everyday.....from students, from volunteers, from donors, and more. Being transparent and answering questions is important. Most of the time when the information provided is sufficient, misunderstanding is reduced. But sometimes I don't know what it is that students or volunteers don't know and may need to know. So sometimes I ask questions. Do you understand?...