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.
A Psalm for Sabbath
Sabbath is for: -ceasing -resting -feasting -embracing I Have Calmed and Quieted My Soul I Have Calmed and Quieted My Soul A Song of mAscents. Of David. 131 O LORD, my heart is not sliftedup; my eyes are not traised too high; I do not uoccupy myself with things too great and vtoo marvelous for me. 2 But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned wchild with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul withinme. 3 xO Israel, hope in the LORD from this time forth and forevermore. 3 O Israel,hopeintheLORD fromthistimeforthandforevermore.
Growing Seeds of Love In Souls
...Deep, deep Love. Love IS the seed of the Spirit that is sown in our depth. Its origin and abiding place is in the depths of inmost being, at the level of human spirit. It germinates and gives birth in our spirit to its own kind in us and from our spirit, as the seed breaks open, the seed brings forth its own love, joy and peace in our being. Then its roots and shoots entwine and burrow into and through our soul's mind, emotions, will, personality, and conscience, transforming one from inmost depth to bring forth patience, goodness, kindness outward to the shallower layers that are tilled...
Boundary Busters
Thinking about boundaries today and the result of failing to set them or respect those of others. Are there times when boundaries need to be pressed? Yes. But undertaking such ventures as that alone or without sufficient prayer and preparation can be disastrous. Cloud and Townsend's book, Boundaries, has a chart that shows the downward spiral for those who refuse to set boundaries or accept the boundaries of others. In descending order, the entities against which one rebels are these: parents siblings, teachers peers spouses employers one's own health/body.......(and finally, when one has...
Loose Lightbulbs In Heaven and Earth
I went to bed at 8:30, so here at 3:30 I am wide awake. I have been watching the strange lightning that has been flashing over Deerpoint Lake. It was almost like a loose light bulb in the heavens.....or the moon having a loose power plug. Very strange looking and it went on for the better part of 30 minutes or more with no sound. One could hardly even call it flashes....more like heavenly "SOS" signals being transmitted. Now I am hearing a faint distant thunder, but the flashing light show is over. There is the sound of a light rain beginning to fall. Very beautiful quiet time in the wee...
What Difference Does It Make?
I pray you will find hope for your journey as a Christian embraced by God who is Love and Grace and indescribably more, and as a disciple of Jesus Christ, called to be in relationship with God and neighbor. What do you believe in and why? What difference does it make that you are a person of faith? How does being a disciple of Jesus Christ affect your life? One Methodist pastor recalled the comment of a young Swiss pastor about sharing one's faith in a secular culture. "In this work I am doing, if you can't answer the question, 'What difference does it make?' don't even go there." (The UM...
Testudinophilia
I have a tray with turtles to keep me company. They're from lots of places and people who know They have a special meaning to me. They just show up, often unannounced, To join the herding bale, the nest, or dole. They remind me though one might get trounced To keep on keeping on, past obstacles or mistakes. The reward goes to the one that persists until the very end. And steadily plods along, no matter how long it takes. A cleaning lady broke one large Galapagos turtle that went with the baby grey/tan one next to the candle. And I've given away a few though the years to others who are...
Dreams of Bill
Dreams of Bill: Tuesday, 9/1/20 Somber Morning A dream just before awaking: “Fool”….. “Cathy !” …. ( sound Bill crying”)…… How often had I heard Bill calling out to me to come in recent months to help with one of the dogs who had peed on the floor or cornered a cat or something else! “I need your help here!” He’d gotten exasperated. I’d go running to help. Silently help. Then sit with him as the crisis passed. I could see his frustration. Perhaps he had dropped a dish or Winston’s insulin again due to his fingertip neuropathy. Cutting up chicken for Winston’s meals had become my...
The Guardian ( Photo: Welsh Sheep Dog)
The quote below was from two posts on this date in 2009. I am occasionally surprised by how often certain experiences are repeated in my life...... Almost the same feelings accompanied me last night as I drove wearily into my driveway. I had spent much of the afternoon with someone in significant need of support, encouragement, and advocacy. i feel so inadequate to the task at times, but I know God has put such situations before me to carry out His will in the life of another who is simply not up to the task alone, at least for now. At least this time it wasn't having to go to the governor's...
Catch and Release
CAUGHT!!! (From 11/15/2013) The individual responsible for the theft of our property was arrested today by criminal investigators from Bay County Sheriff's Department at our house while still on the job......with his minor son standing there watching. The child went home with the man's helper. Although he began by denying it all, as soon as the pictures and pawn shop ticket came out, he changed his tune. All of the items of Mother's have been located and we will be able to retrieve them next week. He's got two felony charges- grand theft and dealing in stolen property. First appearance is...
Negativity Breeds Negativity
Avoiding toxic dementors........ "In J. K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” series, Dementors are evil creatures that suck people’s souls out of their bodies, leaving them merely as shells of humans. Whenever a Dementor enters the room, it goes dark, people get cold, and they begin to recall their worst memories. Rowling said that she developed the concept for Dementors based on highly negative people—the kind of people who have the ability to walk into a room and instantly suck the life out of it. Dementors suck the life out of the room by imposing their negativity and pessimism upon everyone they...