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 Downside of Being “Kind”
“My therapist told me something that hit harder than I expected: She said: “People-pleasing isn’t really about pleasing others. It’s about controlling their perception of you.” And then she looked at me and said: “It’s what happens when fear starts driving—fear of rejection, fear of disapproval, fear of being too much.” You start performing instead of living. You start shrinking parts of yourself to fit into rooms that never had space for your truth. You call it kindness, but deep down… it’s survival. Because you learned early that love had rules. That being yourself came with...
”With You In The Spirit,” Dear Sister-Friends
I heard a pastor say, somewhat dismissively? how he dislikes hearing people say, “I am with you in spirit!” He said we know that one’s human spirit cannot be in two places at once since to be “absent from the body is to be present with the Lord,” i.e., as in death. He was referencing the phrase as it is found in 2 Corinthians 5:6. Paul states that he is confident in his eternal destiny and longs for the day when he can be "absent from the body" (NKJV) and be present with the Lord he loves and serves. That is generally interpreted from a human spirit perspective, one’s...
New To Bible Reading?
Exposure-> Hear and see. Curiosity-> Ask and explore. Information-> Gather facts. Understanding-> Discuss and consider. Knowledge-> Owned understanding. Desire-> “Hunger and thirst.” Insights-> Human reasoning. Wisdom-> Godly illumination. Abiding-> Led by the Holy Spirit’s Presence. Obedience-> In gratitude, joy, and faithfulness. Share/> Live it. Witness to it. Teach it. ❤️😊. CBB 10/6/25
“Information, Please”
Received out of the blue in email from an unknown individual : From: **************@******.comSent: Wednesday, October 1, 2025 11:52:21 PMTo: Cathy Byrd <cathybyrd@titus2.life>Subject: Question - Conversion to Christianity Dear Pastor Cathy Bryd, Hope you are having a blessed day in the Lord. I'm ********. *********. I am reaching out for your insight on scripture. I have a question, mainly, from Methodist members witnessing to me. I have been in a very strict group, called Oneness Pentecostal, at the least cultic, very controlling, and legalistic. I am questioning and...
Doublemindedness and Disappointment
“Do you struggle with the distance between what you thought would be and what is? Disappointment is sometimes God‘s way of leading you home. It is not proof that God is withholding something good from you. Disappointment can be a gift from God that feels nothing like a gift at all. It can be unexpectedly sharp, however, God will use it for your good. In your seasons of disappointment, God is your secure stronghold. When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles, Psalms 34:17. His eyes are on you and His ears are attentive to your cries.” Dottie...
Titus 2 Partnership Ministry Activities -Sept 2025
Made referral to local church resources to secure apartment furnishings for agency and individuals working with a homeless older female with disability in Florida. Taught 2 sessions of 4 classes at three recovery programs- Sept. 4-5 and Sept. 25-26. Hope Inspired Ministry’s Monday Mentor/Mentee lunch appointments completed 9/7, 9/14, 9/21 Sponsored and took a young man who has completed a year-long life recovery program to the Walk to Emmaus at Bethlehem Family Camp, attending Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday events and returning him home to Florida. He had a wonderful weekend and met many new...
”I Am” and “I Am Not” Jesus Statements
“In John's gospel, Jesus says 7 "I am" statements about his unique identity. I am the bread of lifeI am the light of the worldI am the doorI am the good shepherdI am the resurrection and the lifeI am the way, the truth, & the lifeI am the true vine But in chapter 8… Jesus mentions 3 "I am not" statements that are powerful as well: I am not alone. I stand with the Father who sent me (v. 16)I am not of this world (vs 23)I am not seeking glory for myself (50) These “I am not" statements are to be on the hearts and lips of Christ followers too. We are not alone.We are not of this world.We...
On Processing Grief
Here are seven helpful tips to process grief: 1. It’s important to acknowledge and honor your feelings, even if you can't fully feel them. Avoiding or suppressing emotions can cause more harm than good. 2. Move your body and get outside. Shift your focus from sadness to beauty and nature to avoid hopelessness. 3. When grieving, it's essential to lean on your friends and talk to them. It's a personal journey, but having a supportive community is helpful. 4. Take all the time you need. The grieving process has no clear end. 5. It’s important to remember that everyone processes grief uniquely....
Generational Ignorance or Intention?
“The human condition is not one of problem solving, of wanting to know better in order, then, to do better, but rather, to be human is to not to see that which is right in front of you.” Anne Kennedy, Demotivations, at Substack, on the horror of Nigerian genocide of Christians and the public media neglect of it and why neglect, even derision of the intersection between spiritual perspective in politics and policy is so ridiculed in America today. She quotes David Brooks…..“My problem with the Kirk memorial service and all the conversation about his assassination generally is that many people...
On A Doctrine Of Love- Redux
CBByrd 9/27/25 In a 2022 devotional from seedbed.com JD Walt asked had we considered that the church has no “doctrine of love” and wouldn’t it be a good thing to have? I contemplated his question for several days before he got back to it later in a devotional in which he shared a message first given at a New Room Conference in 2014 . After to listening to Dr. Joseph Dongell's message, I wrote this on 4/4/2022 in a blog post: I listened to JD Walt’s seedbed.com’s Daily Text, “Toward A Doctrine Of Love”, this morning and Dr. Joseph Dongell’s New Room message that was linked...