On January 29th I had the privilege of attending the 14th annual Pastor's Conference sponsored by the Bethlehem Baptist Church of Minneapolis, Minn. It was very profitable for me. There were approximately 1000 pastors and elders of various denominations from all over the United States and several foreign countries. I stayed with Lloyd and Mary
    Robertson, late thirtish baby-boomers in a nearby suburb. They are Washington, D.C., transplants who moved their four young children to the frigid midwest tundra several years ago. Visiting with them gave me some fresh perspectives on what draws certain Christians to certain churches. Both Mary and Lloyd had a great hunger for worship as it relates to Biblical truth.
    The theme of the conference was "The Spiritual Care of Souls." The main presenter was Dr. David Powlison, a professor from Westminster Seminary who has spent almost 30 years working in mental health facilities and counseling. His great strength was his ability to articulate the unique perspective the Bible gives on human nature and the kinds of issues that must be addressed in order for a Christian to experience the grace of the Holy Spirit in finding healing and change. He pointed out that much "Christian Counseling" is drawn from models that start with a very different world view than the Bible's. If you want to read a stimulating and thought provoking book get "Power Encounters Reclaiming Spiritual Warfare" by David Powlison from Baker Book House Inc.
    John Piper gave an impassioned and stirring address on the life of John Newton, former slave trader and author of many hymns including the favorite, "Amazing Grace." Piper's challenge was to learn to balance tenderness with toughness in the work of the ministry and dealing with people. If you'd like to read the address you can find it at www.Desiringgod.org . It's very good.
    The worship in song times were also very moving. One thousand men singing from the heart as loud as they could, hymns and songs that celebrate the greatness of our Lord in both creation and redemption lifted us up to gates of heaven. We could almost see in! It was a reminder that although we were from different parts of the vineyard, one day the immensity of Christ's great work through out the ages in redeeming men and women will be seen in total in one place before the throne.
    Finally the opportunity to connect with other pastors was something I'm grateful for. There were some very specific answers to prayer that Carol and I have been praying about that occurred through my interaction with a pastor from Pennsylvania. Thanks for your prayers and interest.

My heart has been gladdened by the election of President George W. Bush. We watched the re-run of his inaugural on TV. His acceptance speech coupled with the prayers of two God-fearing men made me proud to be an American again and more hopeful for the future of this country under his leadership. I especially appreciated President Bush's closing statements of his inaugural address which indicated to me his belief that God is sovereign over the affairs of men and is directing our course.
    (From President Bush’s speech) "After the Declaration of Independence was signed, Virginia statesman John Page wrote to Thomas Jefferson: 'We know the Race is not to the swift nor the Battle to the Strong. Do you not think an Angel rides in the Whirlwind and directs this Storm?' Much time has passed since Jefferson arrived for his inauguration. The years and changes accumulate. But the themes of this day he would know: our nation's grand story of courage, and its simple dream of dignity.
    We are not this story's Author, Who fills time and eternity with His purpose. Yet His purpose is achieved in our duty; and our duty is fulfilled in service.
    Never tiring, never yielding, never finishing, we renew that purpose today: to make our country more just and generous; to affirm the dignity of our lives and every life.
    This work continues. The story goes on. And an angel still rides in the whirlwind and directs this storm." God bless you all, and God bless our country."

Erna Ormsby

The voice is upbeat and the face, smiling. "Good morning! Welcome to Saratoga Chapel." Those are often the first words people hear from Erna Ormsby when they step through the door Sunday mornings. When she's not greeting people at the door, Erna makes it a point to seek out visitors and newcomers. They don't often forget the name, or the welcoming soul behind it. As one of the founding members of Saratoga Chapel, Erna has always "been there," taking on many duties of service over the past 10 years, both outwardly-- such as, deaconess and missions board member (to name a few)--and quietly, attending to many of the "little things" needed in a church body.
    Erna lives in Glenville, in the same house her grandfather and parents built with their own hands in 1945. One four children (two sisters, one brother), she credits her Grandmother as being her greatest Christian influence. She became a Christian around the age of eight while attending VBS at the East Glenville Community Church. A graduate of BurntHills/Ballston Lake schools, she took a position with Ellis Hospital in Schenectady as a ward helper, assisting nurses in patient care and transportation. She later held the position of ward secretary for 12 years. Throughout this time, she was a mom to her two grown nephews, almost from the day they were born.
    Currently, she is a Pharmacy technician at Ellis, where she gathers and credits medications for all patients.
    Caring is a word that fits Erna well. She's been a Hospice volunteer for 10 years, and that caring nature extends beyond local borders. For nine years, she has worked with international students from RPI and SUNY, under the Horizons' Friendship Partner Program (where students are paired with American Christian families), and often invites them into her home and to church.
    Erna's hobbies include ceramics, hand-sewn quilts, embroidery, cake decorating, and her favorite hobby -- photography and "creative memories" (preserving photos).

At a nearby church in Schen-ectady called Calvary Tabernacle great things are happening in the youth group. The youth group, AKE ministries, is growing week by week. We meet at 7:00 pm on Wednesday nights and currently are having about 50 youths ranging from 7th to 12th grade gather consistently! Recently, we have gone to the first ever "Breakout." It is the, only, Junior High version of Saratoga or Excel which is put on every year by Youth For Christ. The premiere speaker for the weekend was Ben Kingsley from South Carolina. His focus was on walking the Christian walk and not just talking the Christian talk. He began on Saturday morning with a sermon about John 3:16, by asking us, "What does "Believe" mean in that verse?"Obviously, "believe" does not just simply mean "believe." We must search for what God's definition is." If we look to verse 3:14, the Bible very easily explains itself. After that sermon he had an alter call and many went forward to get saved or "get off the fence" and renew their relationship with Christ. The weekend was great and all the praise goes to God!

Adam was walking around the Garden of Eden feeling very lonely, so God asked Adam, 'What is wrong?'
    Adam said he didn't have anyone to talk to. God said he was going to give him a companion and it would be a woman. He said this person will cook for you and wash your clothes, she will always agree with every decision you make.
    She will bear you children and never ask you to get up in the middle of the night to take care of them. She will not nag you, and will always be the first to admit she was wrong when you've had a disagreement. She will never have a headache, and will freely give you love and compassion whenever needed. Adam asked God, 'What would a woman like this cost?' God said, 'An arm and a leg.'
    Adam said 'What can I get for just a rib?'
The rest is history. 

From my Godly Heart to Your Godly Heart. - God Breathed
    I have come across a big snag lately, that I feel compelled to warn you about. God has revealed to me the fact that I let all kinds of little circumstances keep me from doing what I know God wants me to do. I would be doing what I think is right at the time, like some good and worthwhile thing, instead of sticking to a certain schedule that would get done what I know He wants me to get done. I didn't recognize this till it has taken even His time to a minimum. I guess I blamed it on circumstances, like changing off hours _ but again that was to my own wishes. I realize now that there is no substitute for a fervent, and no-holes-barred commitment to prayer _ not only every moment, but specific prayer before the day begins, and specific prayer before I meet each person, or talk to on the phone, or in any way contact anyone else. With the Holy Spirit's leading, and a commitment to prayer, and making the Lord my God #1, I know everything will be better than I could ever hope for. I know this from being in His Word. He said so. There is no substitute for being in His Word either. I give God the glory. I let go, and He comes in. - Proverbs 23:26 - KJV -
     " My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways." To you, as well as me -  God promises a hope with a wonderful future even if we don't realize it in this life. My Heavenly Father knows best. Amen? - Amen

Spring Lamb and Orzo

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Rub lamb with lemon, garlic and herbs. Roast 20 min. with onions around. Spread tomatoes around and add 2 c chicken broth. Lower heat to 350 degrees and roast 40 min more. Remove from oven and keep warm.
    Bring 4 c chicken broth to a boil and add orzo – cook 10 min. draining well afterwards.
    Slice lamb and put on platter. Remove grease from pan juices and scrape up all juices from pan. Stir pan juices into drained orzo and surround sliced lamb. Serve. Garnish with parsley or oregano if desired.
    Lots of work, but worth the effort!

Here’s another recipe from Diane Smith - Have fun with this one !!!

Scripture Cake

Cream Gen. 18 with Jer. 6. Beat in yolks of Isa. 10 one at a time. Sift together Lev. 24, II Kings 2, Amos 4, Ex. 30 and II Chron 9. Blend into creamed mixture alternately with Jud. 4, Beat whites of Isa. 10 until stiff: fold in chopped Gen. 43, Jer. 24 and II Sam 16. Turn into 10" tube pan, greased and dusted with Lev. 24. Bake 350 degree oven 1 hr, 10 " or until golden brown. Cool 10-15 min.

Here’s another one from Diane:

Blueberry-Ricotta Squares

In a small mixer bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the milk, shortening, the one egg, and the ½ tsp vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until combined. Beat 1 min. Pour batter into a greased 9x9x2 inch baking pan and spread evenly Sprinkle blueberries over batter. In a medium mixing bowl, lightly beat the 2 eggs with a fork. Add ricotta cheese, 1/3 c sugar, and the 1/4 tsp vanilla beating until combined. Spoon ricotta mixture over blueberries and spread evenly. Bake in 350E oven 55-60 minutes. Cool and cut into 16 squares. Cover and store in refrigerator.

Missions....what is it? Those of us who have been around church for some time tend to think of it as a special person, or persons, who have given up everything, and have gone to some far away place, with a barely pronounceable name. These people are assigned an exulted place in our thinking, considered part of our church life, and to be front line warriors in the battle for the souls of men. These ideas are very often true, but if our missions thinking stops here, we have missed the real thrust.

They would be encouraged by letters from people at Saratoga Chapel.

By the way, Karen Caldwell has agreed to join the women of Saratoga Chapel at our annual fall retreat at Silver Bay, N.Y. On September 28, you can sit at a campfire and sing, eat cookies, take a hike, and even have a pillow fight with a real-live missionary! Save the dates - Sept. 28-30, and save up your pennies. We have reserved four cabins on Oneida Bay for what promises to be a time of refreshment and fun! Every woman is invited!!!

Chris Lambertsen writes from the sunny south that when he gets home, he plans to have a men’s prayer breakfast to discuss an agenda for the men. He has many ideas, such as a Bible Study, surveying the men on issues, etc. He will be looking for all of your input at that time. He writes, " I feel the Holy Spirit is leading very strongly to have the men bring out their best. There are many talents in our church body and they need to be cultivated and used. It may be brought about slowly but so does cement so it cures strong."

By M S

If you wish to donate to the building fund, you may send your contributions marked "Building Fund" to the Saratoga Chapel, 2769 Route 9, Malta, N.Y. 12020.

There will be a workday in the Spring on a Saturday, at which time we will spruce up the garden, polish up the sanctuary and do many other needed projects. It’s always a fun time! Hope to see you there! The date will be announced soon.

The first sympathy card I received came from Bob’s sister Sue and her family. They had been taking care of the dog for us when we were away and Sue had left the card on the dining room table where she knew we would see it. In script on the front of the card were the words, "Jesus our comforter in sorrow." Inside was the scripture, John 14:18, which says, "I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you."

One of the thoughts that had come to my mind when I learned of Dad’s passing was that technically, now, I was an orphan. Both of my natural parents were gone. On the car ride home from our time away, however, Carolyn, Nancy, Bob & I had been talking about what a gift Dad had left us in Gail. She had become as much a part of the family as any of us in the past 21 years, and those ties had seemed especially strong in the past few years. At home that week, as I sat down to write her a note of encouragement, I thought of John 14:18 and decided to look it up in my NIV bible. Imagine my surprise and knowledge of Christ’s love when I read the following words: "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you."

"If God is for us, who can be against us?"
    Very clearly, He has made us more than conquerors in every difficult situation in this life. These few small instances are only the tip of the iceberg of the grace and mercy that the Lord has poured out on all of us who knew my Dad in these past weeks. So far, I have counted 18 such instances, including the fact that over 100 people were encouraged to consider their standing before the God of eternity at the services, and that another group of over 100 believers came to show support, as well as at least 12 churches represented who have been praying for us all. In answer to those prayers, I believe, I was able (with uncommon composure, for me!) to give testimony at the funeral of our sovereign Heavenly Father’s goodness and faithfulness to my Dad. Praise His holy name!