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.
Where Heaven and Earth Are Joined
6/15/22 From one year ago today - 6/15/22 “.......the very point in the universe where heaven and earth are joined has now become the life and witness of the reborn believer.” Firebrand Magazine In 2008, when THE UMC changed its member vow to include "witness", I believed this was a significant improvement in recognizing this important fact.
Seedbed Daily Text and UMC Annual Conference
I attempted to listen to today's emailed SDT with the emailed version. The title on diversity and the text do not match the "listen" link's content. The listen link is a repeat of yesterday's SDT..... I went to the SDT website and found the same thing. I've read today's SDT on diversity...... twice. And reread yesterday's text, as well. Then it clicked.... this is intentional, perhaps not on the part of the SDT Farm team, but I believe it has a potent message from God, nonetheless. We are being tested to see if we truly listen to AND read SDT and understand AND are allowing it to have the...
“To infinity and beyond!”- Psalm 88 and Psalm 22 from the Perspective of Calvary
Reflection on the view from beneath a cross versus Jesus' view from atop it......(published 6/17/2022 CBB) Christian writer and spiritual director Charlotte Donlon, put out a challenging post today as her Psalm of the morning .... Psalm 88. She writes: "If you want some words to wrap around your depression, anger, etc., I offer Psalm 88. This is the morning psalm for today. After all of the words expressing anger, sadness, disappointment, it just stops. There’s no turn to thanksgiving or praise. It’s one of my favorite psalms." Psalm 88 Domine, Deus 1 O Lord, my God, my Savior, * by day and...
Aftermath
June 15,2016 The news reports emerging from the investigation of the Orlando Pulse bar shooting are as horrifying as the reports of the shooting itself. The shooter himself was reported to be gay by his ex-wife and others? That she knew about his plans and said nothing? And he had frequented the Pulse and other gay bars? His religion and its hatred for and murderous intent toward gays (and Jews, and women, and any who believe differently from him) resulted in him destroying himself and as many others as he presumed to be like himself as he could as he was drawn deeper into its radicalized...
Prayers God Answers
I have often heard Dr. Jim Luther, who was on staff at our church for about 15 years, invite prayer requests during a worship service. He has said, "There are two prayer requests that the Lord will always answer immediately and with "yes".... One's prayer for salvation and one's prayer for wisdom."
“Good Parent” Role Model Attachment
In various books about improving one's relationship with God I read statements like this, "When you hear the words Father God, what do you imagine God is like? Are you able to differentiate God's qualities from those of your father?" In one workbook we use there is a list of qualities, positive and negative, and one is asked to check the ones representative of her father and her mother. Today I saw this statement on Twitter: "I once had a friend who said, “Becoming a good man without a father in the house is like putting together a jigsaw puzzle without the picture on the box.” Some things...
Haters Gonna Hate…(Some Gonna Kill)
Guns don't kill people. Haters kill people. And if they don't have guns they'll do it with knives, box cutters, pressure cooker bombs, vans of fertilizer, poison Tylenol, tire irons, or anything else they can get their hands on. When guns are confiscated or banned for law abiding citizens, law abiding citizens will be victimized in even greater numbers by those haters. Some ask, "But if Jesus promises to protect us, why do we need guns?" The same question could be asked another way: If one is saved by Jesus, why fight against cancer or any potentially terminal illness, grieve victims of car...
Distinguishing “Fellowship” From “Discipleship”
(6/14/21) Dr. Henry Cloud (of "Boundaries" Cloud and Townsend fame) makes the case for why personal discipling is needed in small groups and individually to help individuals learn HOW to read and engage with Scripture personally (and with the illuminating guidance of the Holy Spirit) and not simply sit and hear someone tell them or read someone else's view of WHAT Scripture says. "Many Christians who have found help in growing spiritually and emotionally are not well grounded in the Bible. Even though they believe the Bible is true and powerful, they don't really know the doctrines, key...
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...