Praise and Coffee
November 6th 2009
God Blessed Us with some Awesome Praise and Worship Videos and We had wonderful conversations about Being God Centered and Christ Minded: Are they the same or are they different. Cherry commented she thinks about Gods' Heart when thinks about being Christ Centered., because the Heart is in the center of our being.

I discovered with this group of ladies there is a difference between being God Centered and Christ Minded, one has to with how he thinks the other has to do with what he loves his (emotions), love is a feeling. Think about that, how many times have you taken the time think about the difference between how GOD thinks ( relates) to something versus how GOD feels about it. How about yourself can think and feel differently about the same subject? Let us see, what about me? HMMMM,

~Rain~ What do I think about Rain: It think that it is needed for plants to grow and for washing diseases away.
~Rain~ Feelings ~ I hate traveling in the rain and I hate getting rained on. So yes you can have different thought and feelings on the same subject.

Some other subjects we discussed: Discipleship, Leadership Frustrations with lackadaisical church members.

~Ryan~ Thanks so much for that awesome Pear Cake~

Salt's Girls Night Out with Praise and Coffee is a time for Women of God or Women who Desire to become a Woman of God to come together and break from all we do and sit at The Kings' feet with Conversation, Praise, Laughter and Acceptance over a Cup of Coffee:
Where two or more are gathered in my Name there He is in the midst.
Details

Salt has its first Praise and Coffee Night this past Friday, October 2, 2009

We started out at 7:30pm, I threw one Ice Breaker and that was all that was needed. After prayer, I introduced a Question, "What is your Opinion on the Twilight Series, I must admit, I had seen this on one of Sues' Post and I was curious as to what those ladies would have to say, I was not disappointed! The conversation just started rolling, what started off at the beginning a room filled many ladies not knowing ended with great conversation and new friendship made, just what I had been praying for,

Roxi said

"I Love you Guys!"


Thank you so much Pastor Donna for allowing Salt w/Praise and Coffee to come and fellowship at your church New Beginnings Christian Center, we look forward to coming back next month.




Here are the pictures of some of the Ladies that attended!





Thank You Ladies for Coming OUT, We had so much fun!

1ST Friday of Every Month, Maybe a Different Place but always the SAME, DAY!

Here is our First Picture Logo

Good Morning Ladies,

As the previous flyer stated we recently had a "SALT" meeting we met at our Praise and Worship Leaders home church, Crystal Springs Assembly of God. We had a small group basically our leadership however the Lord blessed us with a surpise visit by a lady and her daughter. Our meeting started with fellowhsip of the Leadership Team, with life happening it had been awhile since all of us had the opportunity to visit and catch up. Fellowship progressed into everyone being annointed and several just began to sit on the floor and pray over the meeting and each other. After prayer several remained on the floor including myself which in is a little unusual for my self, anyway I was confortable and remained on the floor. As the leader and speaker of the evening I began to open up the Topic of the nights lesson.

The "Three Evil D's"
Discouragement
Distraction
Disappointment

Here is a copy of that Lesson:

The 3 Areas where I have been hit at with these Evil Weapons
1. Weightloss-Going to the Gym, Discouragement and Distraction & Disappointment
2. Marriage Issues-Personal, Discouragement, Disappointment
3. SALT-Discouragement, Distraction, Derailment from Destiny

Satan’s Job is to steal Kill and Destroy, we will examine the Evil D’s to see how the enemy tries to use these in our lives.

Biblical References:
Cast ,Astray: Off the Right Path, Isa 53:6, Matt 18:12, 1st peter 2:25, Psm 55:22

Online Dictionary.com Reference.
Discouragement defined: Casting off confidence, Giving Up.
Casting Off: Lost Confidence.
Distraction: Diverts attention , something that interferes with concentration or takes away,
Disappoint: To fail to fulfill the expectations or wishes of:
2.
to defeat the fulfillment of (hopes, plans, etc.); thwart; frustrate: to be disappointed in love.
–verb (used without object)
3
to bring or cause disappointment.

Questions:
How do you keep your Confidence from slipping or falling apart?
How do you keep from giving in and giving up?
How do you build up your Confidence in God?

Bible History
First Lets Look at some Bible History of some Famous People that where attacked in the same fashion,
The Israelites, they were distracted by their surroundings and disappointed by God’s food provision, then they became distracted by the Giants seen in the promise land, and because of all these factors their time spent in the Desert lasted for 40 years and some of them never made it to the promise land.
King Solomon, The wealthiest King ever in the beginning he had a right the heart of child, He says, "I am a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in." In other words, "I don't know how to conduct the affairs of office. I feel that I am not adequate to do the job that has been given to me." Solomon had success in everything he put his to do until distraction set in, and it was his ruin, His Distraction Was Women!

So we see from Biblical History The Three Evil D’s are very Powerful and they work, they will derail you from your destiny or slow you down from entering into your destiny.

Personal Commentary
If you become discouraged you seek to fullfill your desires yourself.
If you become distracted by the cares,or take your eyes of the vision it will not come to pass.
If you look at your surroundings you can become disappointed and think that you are not getting Gods’ Best.

Warnings, Luk 8:14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of [this] life, and bring no fruit to perfection. Luk 21:34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with suffering, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and [so] that day come upon you unawares.
Mat 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed [is] willing, but the flesh [is] weak.

Encouragement
Hebrews 10:35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath a great recompense of Reward.

Solutions
God declares I know the Plans I have for you plans to prosper you and bring you to an expected end, and that all things work together for good for those that are called according to his purpose.
*Paul says, Faith will keep your Confidence and to Glory in Your Circumstances"
*Faith comes by Hearing.*
Prayer based on Ephesians :
Christ may you through my Faith settle down and make my heart your permanent home, So I may be Strengthened and Reinforced with mighty Power in my inner man and personality by the Holy Spirit and Let me be rooted and grounded in Love. In Jesus Name, Amen

Conclusion:

I needed to Revived:
Psalm 85
Elements of Revival, Rejoicing and Restoration.
Definition of Revival: American Heritage Dictionary
To impart new, health, vigor or Spirit to.

I have experienced Restoration personally in my Marriage, and Regarding SALT the vision is slowly becomming revived! I have not given up working out at the gym however the struggle continues..

Size Doesnt Matter:
Even though our gather was not grand God was still there at the end of the evening as we began to share prayer requests, our guest says I would like to say something to one of your Ladies, You see Pammy one of our Special Interceeders has been struggling with some health issues and she had been sharing how the lesson had mentioned everything she had been going through, as it turns out so had the visitor, and she wanted to share how she could relate to everying Pammy had been experiencing right down to having to have her daughter take every where. They both had been experiencing distractions with health issues and dissapointments with not healing quickly enough. At the end of the evening I think everyone had been touched tears where shed, prayers were prayed, praises went up but most of SALT was poured out and Hearts were Healed!

AS WE SAY: if you have read this "YOU HAVE BEEN SALTED!"

New Update:

SALT, Jacksonville, Fla
will meet at
Crystal Springs Assembly of God
When: Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Time: 7p.m.
Speakers: Leanne Collins, Lisa Smalley
Worship: Ryan

"Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone" (Colossians 4:6).

Just as salt is a vital part of our lives, so are Christians to the community, nation and world.

When God was prepared to rain fire and brimstone on Sodom and Gomorrah where Lot lived, Abraham asked if He would spare the cities if there were fifty righteous people living there. Abraham kept lowering the number until he asked God if He would spare the cities for ten righteous people. God agreed. But there were not even ten righteous people in the cities. (Study Genesis 18:20-33; 19:1-26.)

Salt seasons food just as the Word of God seasons us and our Christian walk. As we go through life, we are thrown so many things that hurt us, anger us, cause unforgiveness, and bitterness. God gave us his word to bring healing to our hearts and teach us that forgiveness first came from Him through the life of His one and only Son Jesus Christ. But how can we know this if we don't sit down to season our hearts and minds with His Word.

Did you know that Salt is a preservative? We can preserve life by sharing our testimonies with others. Even if your Salvation is the only testimony you have right now, it's more than enough to preserve the life of those who the enemy is trying to take by leading them away from God.

Did you know Salt has healing qualities? When you have a cut or sore, one of the best things to cleanse and heal it is salt water. Growing up in Florida and practically living at the beach each weekend, I heard this a lot. And it actually worked. Even for pimples.. I know gross.. :o)

Did you know Salt also softens and conditions water? The bible says "A gentle answer turns away wrath" and "Raise up a child in the way they should go and when they are old they will not depart from it" and so many more verses that encourage us, strengthen us giving us hope and faith for the future of our families and our own lives. When hard times come, the Word supplies the answers that we need to keep our hearts tender towards our loved ones and keeps our worries and stresses at bay.

Because of special diets, some people cannot eat salt. They must use salt substitute. This restriction creates no problem for us, but to substitute "religion" for "Christianity" is to offer a "substitute" for the real thing.

It is important that we do not lose our testimony. Matthew 5:13 says, "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men."

We influence others with the Salt of our thoughts and hearts. Have you lost your taste for God and his word? What are you seasoning yourself with? Books on things that don't edify you or Gods word with in you. TV programs meant to divide our home and relationship with our children. Sites on the internet that kill the love you have for your spouse. Everything we take in season's us in good ways a bad ways. It's up to us what we seasons we choose.

Our Christian lives and witness are very important. Our homes, churches, communities and the world should be better because of our influence.

You have been Salted!!

Love, Cherie

This picture was taken at Hubbard This Past Saturday, This picture will appear in their monthly newsletter . From Left to Right, Pam, Kim, Katlyn, Lisa leaning over and Leanne

"Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." Galatians 6:9

God birthed in me a ministry called "Praying Wives Club". We have been alive for more than 10 years now and is a ministry under SALT. This is the Testimony and foundation of "PWC"!!

I gave my life to God 12 years ago. At that time Bill and I had been married 4 years. We loved the same movies and music. We are both musicians and is one of the things that brought us together..

One of the changes in me was instant... Music... God said to me, "Do you know how much music I have for you?" I thought, no... The very next day on my way to word, I started searching my radio for a Christian Station.. We were stationed in Newport News VA at the time and they didn't have anything except on the AM station.. Arghhh... The AM station had a lot of feed back and static but it was better than not having any to listen to..

The next change, how I began to see movies.. I didn't realize it at the time but I was seeing things through God's eyes.. I had given my life to him, joined his team, now he was opening his world to me and his thoughts on movies is huge.. I became frustrated about the content and don't let me get started talking about how people taking God's name in vain! I don't like it, don't want it, and couldn't believe people would say God's name in that content.. The changes in me were real and and evident by the change in my choices and Bill could see this..

Side note.. Jesus teaches us that the only unforgivable sin is to Blaspheme the Holy Spirit (Curse).. I asked God one day, why the Holy Spirit and not You or your son... God's answer showed me so much.. People speak God''s name and Jesus's name in vain and curse their names all the time, on tv, movies, books, everyday conversation.. But they don't do this to the Holy Spirit.. So many people would be lost to God, maybe even you and I if he had extended it to all three.. God's Grace for us abounds.. His thinking and Love for us overwhelmed me!!

Back to our devotion! :o) A few months latter we transferred to Jacksonville FL. While setteling into our new home I get a call and it went something like this..

Bill: Hon, we need to talk
me: sure, what's up?
Bill: I'm not happy anymore
me: why? (while my heart begins to pound so loud I can't hear myself think)
Bill: you don't like the same music I like, you don't like the same movies I like anymore.. We're on two different paths and I want a DIVORCE!!
me: Silence.................

I can't explain how I was feeling at that moment but I asked him if we could talk when he got home and hung up the phone. This was the last thing I thought I would hear!! I began to panic... Then I remembered I had Jesus.. I went right to my knees and began to pray.. I called my Pastor in VA but couldn't reach him.. I then called my best Friend Kim in Va and she answered.. I explained my situation and she had an answer..She told me to go right then to a Christian book store and buy "The Power of a Praying Wife" by Stormie Omartian.. In all honesty I thought she was crazy.. A book can't help me.. I need prayer... She laughed and said, Cherie... This is Prayer!!!

I bought the book and began my journey. I learned that scripture is also prayers.. Prayers for me, my marriage, my children, all of my situations..And I put them into practice right away.. As you have been reading these devotions, you have already seen that we are a work in progress. Though we have come a long way, we still have work to do!! I love my Husband with all of my heart and so thankful to God that He loves my marriage even more than I do.. It was a long, long, long year of hurts and pains but in this great deep valley God took the opportunity to change me in the midst of it!! He showed me to hold on to his word and our scripture today was instrumental in keeping me where God wanted me during this trial. He is so faithful to us.. to me and my love for my husband.

I know this one is long and I appreciate you giving me the time to share with you why this ministry means so much to me.. Since that year, I have given away many of these books, prayed with countless women over their marriages and interceded for them.. God is a good and faithful God but he is also our God of Restoration. If you need restoration in your marriage, you have come to the right place... Prayer Changes Everything!!

One last thought... Praying about ALL aspects of a marriage keep the concept of divorce from gaining any hold. We mustn't neglect what seem to be minor issues, even if we don't think they are important.



Lord I come to you now and reject and rebuke any thought of Divorce over the wives reading this. Work in their hearts to stand resolved to see their marriage all you created them to be!! Only you Lord can take the word Divorce out of the hearts of these wives and husbands.. Bless them Lord and keep them in your wings just as you did me...Help them to not grow weary as they are doing good for their marriages that they may reap their due rewards.. I pray a hedge of protection around them for each day.. Help them to hold every negative word captive! Only your Word stands True and brings Truth into our hearts!! Thank you Lord for your Faithfulness to us and that every marriage is precious in Your site! In Jesus Name I pray.. Amen!!


God's blessing to each of you and your walk with HIM!!

¹ “Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces; now he will heal us. He has injured us; now he will bandage our wounds. ² In just a short time he will restore us, so that we may live in his presence. ³ Oh, that we might know the Lord! Let us press on to know him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring.” Hosea 6:1-3

At Praise AG our Pastor's wife put out a proclamation that we are "Breaking Free" this year from all chains, bondage's and strongholds. This past week I got hit with something that really hurt me. I talked to God about it, cried, and shared with him how hurt I was over the situation. He reminded me of Kim's proclamation and said this.." To break free, all things have to come to the surface to be dealt with." The deeper the issue the deeper God has to go to bring it to the surface breaking us to pieces in the process. This brought me peace because I now knew God was using this to break me free from past hurts.

A few days latter a friend and I were getting the music ready for this weeks "PWM" meeting God lead me to Hosea 6.. Wow, confirmation for the word he gave me a few days before... When we are serious about healing and breaking free God is quick to begin his good work in us. He tears us to pieces so he can heal us.. Hosea says, as we press into him he will respond to us as surely as the dawn comes.

The next time your dealt a situation that brings hurts or a sin that keeps raising it's ugly head, run to God. Though he allows us to hurt he's faithful to heal us in the process.

Hmmmmm........ Healing Salt for our wounds. :o)

Cherie

"And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.” Genesis 3:15

How many times have you fought the good fight only to feel defeated? Eve must have felt defeated that day in the Garden when the realization came that she went against God and chose to act in what the enemy (Satan) was coaxing her to do. But, in the midst of Eve's sin against God he reveals a promise to her.. That her offspring would Defeat the enemy...

My Daughter has seizures due to the Cerebral Palsey. Mark tells us that if we Believe, what so ever we ask for we will receive. Three years ago God spoke to me about seeking Him for her healing from the seizures and the Cerebral Palsey.

The same week God spoke to me about this a mother of one of Sam's school friends shared with me what God has told her to do. She said, "go to Foodlion and get you some olive oil. tonight before she goes to bed anoint her forehead, both her hands and feet and pray over your baby for her deliverance." I have been doing this almost every night for three years now. This seems to be keeping the seizures at bay. But there are times when the seizures break through and always just before her bus gets here to pick her up for school. I've been going to God and asking him, why if I'm doing what you have shown me to do are the seizures still coming? Eighteen years is a long time to be dealing with these on a almost daily bases? Three weeks ago God told me to STAND!! I thought to my self, "huh?" Then I thought what does Stand look like? God reminded me of the Isrealights and took me Exodus 14:13,

Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again.

Stand firm... God is telling me to Stand firm in what he has told me. So Standing for me is resisting the enemy in each of the seizures... The last three weeks I have been doing just this!!
When the seizure comes I don't receive it.. Instead, I speak God's promises over Sam!! I remind the enemy who he is... I speak out every scripture as the Holy Spirit brings them to my remembrance! I am in battle for my daughters healing and this morning was no different..

I had just gotten Sam out of the tub and I felt in my spirit for the first time that a seizure was coming. I chose then to stand. I began to fight before it reared it's ugly head. Satan's design, cause me to feel defeated. But God moved in my heart and I began to tell satan that he is a liar!! God gave Eve a promise that her offspring would strike his head and Sam will be delivered! The seizure came and I continued to speak out loud as many times as it took! Within five minutes the seizure was gone. It didn't even have a chance to take a foothold this time. We have a victory and one day we will have Full Victory and God will deliver Sam and I from the plan satan has for us!!

When I came back in from putting Sam on the bus one of my 17 year old sons said, "Mom, satan is a liar and you defeated him this morning". Wow...... With God I defeated him this morning... Can I say Woooo Hoooo!!!!!!!

What are you going through that you feel defeated in? Tell satan that he is a liar and that your Victory is at hand.. God is so good and so able!! Jesus defeated satan on the Cross and by His stripes we are healed! Like ours, your Victory may terry but it will come! We are promised this by way of the Cross. One day soon I will be blogging the day of Sam's full healing!!

Thank you Jesus for your faithfulness to me and my family!

All my Love, Cherie

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." Matthew 7:7 (NASB)

I was asked to speak at our PWM ~ Breaking Free 09' Womens Retreat this past weekend. I was excited going into this because I hadn't given my testimony to anyone but our Pastor's Wife who asked me to speak. We have only been in Beaufort SC for 5 months and I am still getting to know everyone at our new church.

The retreat started out with a bang. For the first session, our pastors wife asked myself and the other speaker to join her in a skit. This skit opened with Casting Crowns "East is from the West" song as one of the husbands (being Jesus) walked down the Isle carrying a pretend cross. The reason, for us to yell at Jesus about the things we feel he has left us alone in. This would not be an easy skit for me. I have some things that I have never said out loud much less yelled them at Jesus.. I prayed just before time to do this and asked God for his forgiveness for what I was about to do...

The other two speakers went before me and moved the audience to tears with their pleas. When it came my time to let Jesus know how I have felt my heart became overwhelmed at the thought of yelling at my Savior... The tears began to flow and would not stop... first I said, "Where were you Jesus when my life was turned upside down at 6 and my daddy left me." The second, "where were you Jesus when my step father decided to do things to me that should not be done to a child", then the one that turned out to hurt the most... "Where were you Jesus when my daughter was born with CP... and I had to watch all my dreams die, where were you Jesus...." We then ran down to the cross one by one and wept at Jesus feet.. We told him we realize that he was there all along... for me the tears would not stop. I have felt all of these things so many times but never had the guts to let Jesus know. This was my first chance to get it all out... and I did!!!

I can say that this was the hardest thing I have ever said out loud to my Savior. But I can also say that God moved in the three of us and the ladies in attendance in the most powerful way. Women were breaking free from their bitterness and un-forgiveness. The word tells us to "Ask" and we shall receive, "Seek" and we shall find, "knock"and it will be opened to us.. So we did with passion and all the strength we could each muster...

By the end of the retreat God had moved so much with in each of the ladies that everyone knew Jesus had been there all along in their own trials...... We can ask God anything and he will answer. We can seek Him and always find Him.. We can knock and he will answer no matter how hard it is for us to say what we need to say.... He is a faithful Father and will not turn us away!! Praise The Lord!!

Cherie

Hi , my name is Cherie Zack. I am a wife and mother, but most importantly, I am the daughter of the Most High King. I didn't always know this. Because of the things in my childhood I thought I was ugly and a waist of everyone's time. I didn't think I could accomplish anything and was bad at all things. But God felt differently. He saw me as his child. His daughter! The beautiful girl he created from his heart, for his purpose and his blessings. I just needed to see this for myself. But at the age of 31 I was still struggling in my pain, un-forgiveness and bitterness towards God, my family and the world.

A missionary from Kenya, Africa came to our church the summer of 99. He told us about the miracles God had been doing in his church and for his community. He took us to Matthew and talked about salt and the importance of it. He shared that if we were to loose our saltiness we would be "no good" for God or anyone else. He was born in Africa and even though his terms were different from ours I knew just what he was saying. I saw myself as "no good" for God. However, the word "Salt" stayed in my spirit. I began to feel anticipation in my heart. I knew God was doing something just not sure what. Then it came.

A friend had encouraged me to buy the work book "Experiencing God". A few weeks latter God brought healing into my heart. My healing was so real that I began to share with my friends what God had done in me. After a few years had past I began to see why God kept the word Salt before my heart for so long. He was calling me to share my testimony with others for his purpose. God began speaking to me about starting a ministry for women. He said to name it "salt". In August of 2005 SALT Ministry was born. :o)

Because of all He did for me,
Cherie