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.
All that is in the world……
The Lord seems to teach me about His word by giving me a "ponderable" (as opposed to an imponderable). One ponderable I've contemplated is Jesus' temptation after His baptism. I had heard a radio evangelist preach about that once and he said that Jesus' temptations represent the same kinds of temptations that we all experience. When one looks at the three of them (Matthew 4:1-10) they seem to be the temptation to let ourselves be driven by our physical appetites, by the lure of the pleasure of materialism/ accumulation of wealth and worldly power, and by the temptation to test our status or...
How time flies……
Today I was visiting with a friend and talking about events that occurred in 1997. Remembering the things that were going on in my life then and considering how much has changed about me since then, I am struck by how little the outward circumstances of my life have changed while the inward conditions are so totally different! It is amazing what a difference a few years can make in one's feelings, goals, hopes, satisfaction, etc. It's been a time of midlife transition for me. I'm finally feeling mostly through it, thankfully. Does that mean I'm now officially middle aged? If my knees and...
Windows of heaven….
In Monday night's Disciple I class the subject was 'wonder' and the topic of mysticism came up. I was pressed on the issue and confessed to being 'mystic'. Today both of my online devotionals address the issue. I sent out a note to all the members to explain something more about contemporary Christian mysticism. As Adrian Rogers' "Love Worth Finding" devotional today said, it's really all about how much do you know God? How much do you want to know God? And as an Upper Room published book entitled "Six Twentieth Century Mystics" points out, the six individuals biographed there (Glenn Clark,...
Inclusiveness…..
I am participating in a Disciple 1 Bible Study. Tonight's video introduction included several comments about the inclusiveness of Scripture, how it's available to everyone and applicable to everyone. The speaker referenced, among others, the Ethiopian eunuch, the centurion, and the people of Nineveh. His point was that God has interest in all people and makes His Word available to all. The not so subtle point that I got from it is that just because someone thinks differently from me doesn't mean that they aren't sincerely seeking God's direction in the Word.The speaker failed to note a...
Safe and restful sleep, sleep, sleep….
You may recognize the title of this post as a line from a jingle for an over the counter sleep aid that was marketed years ago (Sominex). I had considered that being middle aged must include a nearly constant attentiveness to the quality of one's sleep. I find that one of the first things I do upon waking is thank God for the rest that I've had, especially if it has been particularly refreshing, something that is more and more a rare occurrence now that I am in my 50's. It is even less so for my husband as he says my snoring disturbs his sleep most nights. But when I consider that he has...
Lacking nursing skills…..
A friend of mine had serious shoulder surgery and has been horizontal on my sofa now for 36 hours. She is far from going home, it seems. Maybe in another 36 hours, when she's due to return to the doctor's office for bandage change and recheck, she'll be ready to go home. I hope so. I am not a very competent nurse. But, in this case, I was all she had at the time. That's a scary thought, to be all that someone has at the moment.
Strength for the day…
The women's event at the little country church went well. I felt comfortable there among them, a very loving and welcoming group. My cold didn't interfere too much with my efforts to speak. The pastor was very appreciative and complimentary of what I offered to her flock. I may never have another opportunity to do that again, but it was a good exercise. I realized I can do whatever God calls me to do. Public speaking is a scary proposition. But when the Lord gives you information in His Word that you feel Him calling you to share with others, you do it. today I'm absolutely worn out. God...
Distilled wisdom…..
For about 8 or 10 weeks our Sunday School class has been working through a curriculum called "Tough Questions: Why is there evil and suffering in the world?" In this time with war, terrorist threats, and natuaral disasters like tsunamis and hurricanes ravaging coastal communities, there is a lot of material to consider. We have reviewed numerous scriptures and considered a number of questions in exploring this issue. Considering one's response to the problem of evil and suffering in the world ultimately seems to challenge two things: God's goodness and God's sovereignty. If He is good, is He...
Stepping into the water……
In 1997 the first sign of a pending spiritual and emotional battle was a car trip during which I was singing and praising the Lord for the beauty of the early dawning day. As I did so, I said, "Surely the Lord has created the beauty of this earth for His glory and my delight." In a split second the Lord spoke to my heart and said, "Tell others." At the time I wasn't sure what I was to tell or to whom I was to tell it. Saturday I will be the keynote speaker for a women's day at a small church near my home. This is way out of my comfort zone. I've spent countless hours in preparation. I feel...
Moving forward…..
The last two weeks have been a blur. I worked a men's retreat the weekend of August 26-28. There was a hurricane moving into the Gulf of Mexico so my husband, who works at a TV station, had to stay home to help with the round the clock weather coverage activities at the station. By Sunday night the storm, which had been headed for Panama City, had moved further west and was targeting the Mississippi- Louisiana border area. As it turned out, Hurricane Katrina landed a glancing blow to the New Orleans/ Grand Isle area of New Orleans as she bounded into land at Biloxi. The devastation has been...