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.
Interpolation
In the Seedbed Daily Text today, June 13, JD Walt introduces us to the concept of interpolation in regard to Pentecost: Interpolation- "the insertion of something of a different nature into something else." ......a lovely, evocative word with Latin roots! Thank you, JD, for introducing it to us. Inter- "between; among; in the midst, during" polare ( from polire) "To smoothe, polish" Ezekiel 36:26-27 "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh." The Holy Spirit "polished" the speech and presentation...
Word and Spirit Rattling Bones and Minds
In a Facebook post that asked how mindfulness had helped readers with depression I responded," It didn't... spiritfulness did." Another reader asked, "May I know how this is done?" My reply: "It's an 'order of things' matter. You can pursue mindfulness as a first pursuit all you wish, but for those with a biblical understanding of life and human development 1st Thessalonians 5:23 sets the pattern for how an adult becomes "whole", integrated and complete, able to exercise personal self-actualization and agency..... "may you be sanctified entirely- spirit, soul, and body .." The soul is the...
Ordinary Miracles
June 9,2014; Lump....... prayers........then, no lump........and a prayer of gratitude! Pastor Jim Luther always challenges us not to just blow off such events.....we are witnesses to the power of prayer and the recipients of miracles far more often that we realize or acknowledge! Thank you, especially those righteous friends among you, who prayed with and for me this past week and thanks to my doctor and Bay Radiology for prompt and professional care. The report was amazingly good. James 5:15-17 New International Version (NIV) "And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well;...
Making Waves
June 9,2016: My friend, Rev. Terry Weber-Rodriguez shared this: "Yes my dear Cathy this is you. You go girl friend." You never get into something to test the waters, You go into things to make waves. From Michael Frost Photo credit Tim Soerens
Pet Memories
June 9, 2016: pet memories I wrote earlier today about our kitty, Patti, who died. She'd come to us from WMBB. I just remembered that her friend, our little male- Squeaker, also came from WMBB! He was a stowaway under the raised floor of the control room. One of the night guys kept telling folks there was a cat under the raised floor and no one believed him until one day someone else saw him. That resulted in them having to dismantle a part of the raised floor to catch him. He was going to be sent to the shelter and if not adopted, would be euthanized. Bill would not be the one responsible...
“I Am A Disciple”
Worth restating: Declaration “I am a Disciple” I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I am above and not beneath. I am the head and not the tail. I am the righteousness of God in Christ. I am accepted in the Beloved and His royal blood flows through my veins. I am a part of the Family of God. The Holy Spirit dwells in me. The decision has been made. There will be no looking back, no letting up, no slowing down, no backing away, and no giving in. I will not compromise my beliefs, lower my standards, or cower in the face of adversity. My past is forgiven. My present has purpose and my best and...
Fellowship of the Unashamed
The Fellowship of the Unashamed I am part of the "Fellowship of the Unashamed." The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure. I am finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, chintzy giving, and dwarfed goals. I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I now live by presence, lean by faith, love...
Reframed Thinking Based On Sources
When someone has attempted to control a person all of her life by berating her and calling her "stubborn" because she won't do what they want, how does she decide to give that over to God and what does God desire to put in its place? That was the question facing me and a young lady as we talked about her character defects. She has bought others' assessment of her and has struggled with how to be someone and something other than who she is in order to please people who have never been pleased with her. As she has embraced a personal relationship with Christ and grown in her knowledge of God...
Living In a Time-Limited “40-Forever” Mindset?
For those who have experienced the Emmaus Movement, I took away a sense of the "present" moment-ness of the Holy Spirit's abiding as we were introduced to the "Fourth day" concept ( for me in 1992) .... that while our experience of the three days at Emmaus was a once in a lifetime kind of spiritual experience for many of us, each day afterward God's mercies are fresh and new. Every day going forward is a fresh new 4th day of our experience of Christ with us, to us, for us, through us. As we've been reflecting on the significance of living into Pentecost is any moment where we feel afresh...
The Difference Boundaries Make
Boundary Setting in Relationships- There are occasions when meek, emotionally-controlled, wounded women come to Titus 2 who have been subjected to abuse in one or more forms- emotional, physical, financial, sexual, psychological, spiritual, or relational. They often have learned to be "people pleasers" at the expense of their own personhood. They are generally incapacitated, too, by anxiety and fear. Through prayer, Bible study, classes, counseling, and mentoring they discover their identity and value in Christ, learn how to set boundaries and say "no" appropriately, confront their...