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.
Therapeutic Laughter Can Traumatize Pets
May 8,3021: Poor little Winston is on high alert this morning. He was sitting by my chair as I was reading an individual’s lengthy minute by minute account of experiencing the prep process for a colonoscopy. I was laughing so hard I was snorting and tears were rolling down my face. Winston started jumping up and down, barking and howling and obviously distressed by my antics. I guess he thought I was having a seizure or something and was trying to bring me back to reality or alert the neighbors that I was seriously flipping out! Poor baby. Even now, as he lies on the sofa watching me...
Worship in Spirit and In Truth
Speaking of worship..... John 4- Jesus and the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well in Sychar…. 19 “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. 20 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” 21 “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the...
Legalism and License
I quoted something in another post which JD Walt had observed ....that love which is defined by feelings and behaviors has a way of becoming all about license or legalism. I will give you an example: At age 22 I was in a medical internship shared by another woman, along with a dozen other folks. She and I often talked about our respective families, lives and faith. My impression was that she held God at a distance because of her extreme view of His demands for perfection, viewing God as stern, wrathful, waiting for her to make a mistake to punish her. And at times she felt unworthy and...
Inheriting The Earth
Our Almighty Heavenly Abba Father owns all the cattle on a thousand hills (and everything else). He tells us that the meek will inherit the Earth (Matthew 5:5). That means that when we are submitted to his will, listening and attentive, when we are teachable and pliable in his hands, making ourselves available to be used by him for his purpose and plans, we have access to all of the resources of his kingdom. Just like a child who inherits her parents' estate, we will have 'inherited the earth." His resources are then our resources. Whatever is needed for us to accomplish his purpose we will...
Google Daily Highlights
I get a chuckle out of Google's daily tributes to individuals or events significant on the day's date through it's search portal. On this date, May 4th, a few years ago the honoree was Jane Jacobs, a Canadian and American journalist, author, and activist best known for her influence on urban studies. Her influential book The Death and Life of Great American Cities (1961) argued that urban renewal did not respect the needs of most city-dwellers. The book also introduced sociology concepts such as "eyes on the street" and "social capital". I love those two phrases "eyes on the street" and...
Aha Moments About Purpose
One of more than a few "aha" moments that have converged for me is this: I am not a "social justice warrior". That is the work of people with causes/issues for which to battle. I am an advocate whose task is to battle for a particular person in the midst of a particular issue.....Those are two very different things. That has freed me considerably from some of "the tyranny of the urgent" and helped me recognize what is really important for me in the present moment. And the issue(s) confronting the one(s) God brings to me are not always the same...so it demands a degree of flexibility. But...
God’s Perfect Timing
I will never again blow my horn at someone ahead of me who fails to jack-rabbit-start at a green light! ( I've never been real quick to do so as it seems a good way to get shot by someone with road rage in our world today.) I was on my way to a yoga class, in the left turn lane, first in line to turn from Hwy 77 South to West 11th St. I didn't start fast enough for the lady behind me who blew her horn at me to go on. Immediately after her blow a pick up truck came racing from the west side of 11th St and blew through the now red light on his side as he headed through the intersection toward...
Perspective….
From 4/19/2014 "The people whom I have friended on facebook are part of my "community". They are, to a large degree, people I engage with and who hold me to living accountably for my walk with Christ.....not perfectly, as none of us does that....but responsibly and with a willingness to be honest, with God, with myself, and with others. That is what I have ever sought to do....even when it has been with emotions that were difficult to contain or express. So I feel no shame in being honest here. You all may judge my sincerity, if you like. And you may feel free to chastise me, if you...
Vulnerability and Love
"To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable." C. S. Lewis Vulnerable.....never comfortable, but necessary for love.
Dreams from God
From 4:19/2015.... "In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls upon men, while they slumber in their beds, he opens the ears of men and seals their instruction." Job 33:15-16 The context for this scripture is that God warns us through dreams, to turn us away from bad choices or temptations so that we are not ensnared. But he can and does just as easily whisper sweet words of knowledge, peace, and grace. May your dreams tonight be filled with thoughts of God and desires from his heart to yours, words from his mind to yours...... Get in sync with the Lord, walk with him in...