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.
Loving The Lord With My Mind
"Luke Timothy Johnson said once that expecting folks to fall in love with scripture through the historical-critical method is like expecting someone to fall in love with someone via autopsy." From Father Everett on Twitter Dissection and examination may lead to discovery of facts about the kingdom of God but it won't draw one into relationship with the King. I was a nit- picker of Scripture in a critical kind of way for years.... confused by things that appeared to be conflicts or contrary to what a "good" God would do. I finally got it through my culturally-clouded, stiff-necked, stubborn...
Beggar’s Cup
Shared by a friend, Deborah Anne Holstine, 7/6/2014. Worth repeating. "Hold the empty cup in your hands. Look at all the room the cup has for filling. Picture the inner part of yourself. Notice how much room there is for filling. Hold the cup out before you in the gesture of a beggar. Ask God to fill you."
Experiencing God’s BEST Daily
God's place...God's time....I visited with a couple of families with members having surgery this morning and decided to have lunch at the hospital cafeteria, which I have never done before while on such a mission. I had on my LHUMC clergy name tag. A volunteer from the ER sat down across from me to eat and when he saw my badge, he asked me if I had time to meet with a young man from out of state who had brought his girlfriend into the ER last night. I found him and we visited in the Chapel. He's a recent new believer. I visited with her, too. When I sat down she said, "I knew you were...
God Delights In Me.
The Lord says to us in Isaiah 42:1, "Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight." God takes great delight in you. You give Him great joy. He finds pleasure and satisfaction in your worship and praise. And your obedience brings a smile to His face. Love Him today with all your heart. After all, every day His heart is full of love for you. - This reminder was observed today in my morning devotional from Joni Eareckson Tada. Such words are wonderfully sweet. Would that all would know the sweetness of feeling delighted in by God! All may..... Consider today that you are...
Priesthood: Believers, Pastors, Christ
"A sacrament is a sacrament even if the materials are less than perfect. One may prefer the best bread for the Eucharist, but the worst will still serve the purpose. One might prefer, with the ancient directives of the Didiche, to have cold, running water for baptism, but standing water will do. One would be glad to have the best possible priest in every sense of the word standing at altar or font to preside at these sacraments, but we can participate fully in the sacred rites even with a sacramental priest who is far less than perfect." - William Countryman, Living on the Border of the Holy...
Know Yourself. Know God.
Wisdom shared with me years ago said, " We give as much of ourself as we can know to as much of God as we can understand." It challenged me to engage in an inner journey of self discovery and a deep and broad and high and far-ranging search to know God "Knowing your own darkness is the best method for dealing with the darkness of other people." - C.G. Jung Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.....Matthew 5:7. Christianity is the only faith, the only religious system that teaches that the human condition is marred by damage done by humanity's willful nature that leads to...
Awakening To The Image of God
In each of us lies the image of God ….. Christ himself awaits revelation and the fullness of God’s glory within my own spirit. Can I provide fertile soil and cultivation for The Vine that my life might yield fruit??? As God desires, may I be sown….. C.S. Lewis (The Weight of Glory, 1949): "There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal.... it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit - immortal horrors or everlasting splendors.....your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses, for in him also Christ lies hidden - the glorifier...
Childhood: 4th of July
It’s a southern thing….. I remember my Dad and uncles shooting fireworks with all the kids on the front lawn at my Granny’s house, out away from the house near the road. It was exhilarating, terrifying, and the epitome of risk-taking for a bunch of little grandkids screaming and running from the noise and sparks, finally brave enough at the end to hold a sparkler! M80s, screamers, colorful bursts, ropes of firecrackers, falling stars…… it was magical and a bit majestic for us to celebrate our country’s birthday that way…….
Noah: A Man Who Met God’s Requirement
7/3/22 Today our pastor continued a series entitled "Timeless Bible Stories." The featured story was of Noah and the ark from Genesis 6:9-8:14. The major points of the story are familiar to us but there are some subtleties that struck me today as we read and heard Craig Carter's message. His sermon notes printed in our worship guide are shown in this photo above, with my notes scribbled on it at the end of the hour. There were so many additional thoughts that zoomed in from other Bible scriptures as he preached. I felt like I was all over the place as I thought about Noah. I had written...
Secret Sign
An excerpt from my sermon entitled "Ebb and Flow, Come and Go, To and Fro": The sign of the fish is a symbol that Christians have used since the time of the birth of the church, during times of persecution and in times of celebration to represent the coming together of believers. When discretion and caution were required one person would draw an arc on the ground. If the other person was a believer as well, he would respond by drawing the reversed arc, resulting in the sign of the fish….the ichthus…..The letters of the word "ichthus" in English are translated as "Jesus Christ, Son of God,...