“You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is about the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it.”

-Adrian Rogers
1931 – 2005

Yesterday I had an opportunity to learn about a missionary organization working in the Basin of Brazil. Amazon Outreach assists churches who want to send workers to the small villages along the Amazon River.

Amazon Outreach has large boats that transport short term missionaries along the Amazon to meet with the villagers. While there they provide medical needs such as eye glasses & dental care. They also treat the kids to fun with vacation bible school, sports & recreation. But most of all they gain opportunities to share Jesus Christ.

Jed Thompson is the Executive Director of Amazon Outreach. His heart is for the people in the Basin of Brazil. You can hear the passion in his voice for those people. And after going on 60+ trips, he has the experience to help your church reach those people.

So if you or your church is interested in going with Amazon Outreach, please contact Jed and his team today. The phone number for Amazon Outreach is 972-931-5565 and their website is http://www.amazonoutreach.org.

Thanks to Shane Waldrop for sharing the link to this video.

You can learn more about John Piper and his ministry here.

P.S. Don’t forget to set your clocks back on Saturday night!

Label me… go ahead. Yep. I’m a SIV.

A Single Issue Voter.

Don’t get me wrong. I don’t want to be. I’d much rather walk into the voting booth to cast my ballot for a person that I like, or have a passion to see running this country.

I’d really like to see a candidate that I wanted to follow. A candidate that I wanted to rally behind, to make calls for, to stand on corners with. But not this time. Not this election.

I’m okay with John McCain. I really liked him in 2000. But not as much in 2008. His message has changed. He’s changed. Rather than waiting for the nation to get behind him and his passion for change, he tried to jump in front of the nation and he changed. He’s negative, he’s shaky, he’s boring. He cannot connect with the immediate and future leaders of our nation. He’s nearly out of touch with America.

But…

John McCain is pro-life. John McCain voted against Roe v. Wade and has stated “To me it is an issue of human rights and human dignity.” John McCain voted for the ban on partial-birth abortions.

His opponent co-sponsored a bill titled, “Freedom of Choice Act” (S.1173) which would make partial-birth abortion legal again, require taxpayer funding of abortion, and invalidate virtually all state and federal limitations on abortion, such as parental notification laws.

Robert George reports that McCain’s opponent may be the most pro-abortion candidate to ever run for presidency. Read it here.

For the record, I voted the same way in 2004, 2000 and 1996. While George Bush has not been my favorite president. Okay, he’s not been very good at all. But he did appoint John Roberts as Chief Justice and Samuel Alito, Jr. to the Supreme Court. These were monumental appointments and this feat cannot be overlooked when considering W’s legacy.

So here I stand. A single issue voter. Not happy, but comfortable knowing that I used my constitutional right to vote for Life.

Does anyone really know what is going on in the financial markets or when everything will settle down? How are you holding up in the midst of this turmoil?

I read these verses recently and was reminded me that the Lord knows what’s happening in the world today. In the midst of this turmoil, He is in control.

Psalm 16:5-8
Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

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I never thought this day would come. Really. I say this with all sincerity. I never thought the Tampa Bay Rays would ever make it to the World Series.

My wife and I had season tickets for the inaugural season of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. We proudly sat in the “partially obstructed view” seats. They were at the TOP of the Trop. Last row. A support beam for the roof was in our way and we couldn’t see the fence in right field. In fact, we often couldn’t see the right fielder. We also couldn’t quite see the whole jumbotron and many players names were cut off from our view. You know, like Fred McGri, Wade Bog, Quinten McCrack. Oh those were the days! The Rays went 67-95 that year and didn’t get much better any time soon.

In 2007 the Rays had the exact same record at 67-95. Fast forward one year and we are going to the World Series. Wow!

I’ve not yet jumped on the Rayhawk bandwagon, but am a proud supporter of the Tampa Bay Rays.

Here’s hoping that our Rays are able to beat the Phillies and win the World Series! Go Rays!

Someone PLEASE help me understand why gas prices are not dropping along with the price of oil.

On July 16, the average price per gallon of gas was $4.13. On that same date, the price of a barrel of oil was $146. Today the average price per gallon of gas was $3.61 while the price per barrel of oil was $101.

So here’s the summary: Oil – Down 30%, Gas – Down 10%

What’s up with that? And while I’m asking questions, what is going on with the gas shortage in the Southeast? Florida doesn’t appear to be affected, but Georgia and Tennessee are getting hit hard. Why?

I realize this isn’t a spiritual topic, but I have questions and I want answers. See, my blog really is full of Random thoughts from a Christ Follower!