Friday's Fumblings

So how many of you are spending the day watching the royal wedding? I can truly say that I have no interest in it at all. I saw the results of a poll that asked if you will be watching the wedding, and only 23% said yes. So apparently, a whole lot of people are not buying into the media overkill.

The couple of shots I have seen from the festivities do bring back memories of when Beverly and I were in London last year. This morning I heard the bells chiming at Westminster Abbey, and remember how that sound carried across London.

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The Mavs won their 1st-round playoff series! They will now be taking on the Lakers. One can only wish that they somehow knock them out the way the Rangers knocked out the Yankees last year.

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My heart so goes out to the hundreds of families that have lost lives, homes and so much in the tornadoes that ravaged the South this week. We have a couple of men from our church that have gone to assist in whatever way they can. I am praying that God will reveal Himself in the midst of this tragedy.

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I never cease to be amazed at conspiracy theorists, and how easily people fall under their thinking. Do you realize that there are still people who think that the earth is flat and that the 1st moonwalk was staged in the desert?

Regardless of one's opinion of President Obama, the birth certificate issue makes the accusers look worse than silly. Do they really think that nearly 50 years ago, someone was already plotting to cover up Obama's "foreign birth" by placing a birth announcement in the paper? And even with the President having produced his birth certificate, now they are alleging that it is a forgery because it "doesn't look old enough."

Politics in America has reached a low point. Where is it going to stop? "Well, they did it to Bush!" "Well, they did it to Clinton!" It is SO childish. At some point, someone has to say, "ENOUGH!"

And we patronizingly look at the Middle East and wonder why they can't get along.

My Last Two Days

Sunday was a wonderful day. Emotionally exhausting, but wonderful. Our worship was powerful, and then our time together with some family and friends at the graveside was moving. All my hope is resting on Easter.

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Yesterday I played golf in the Gregg Pearson Benefit Golf Tournament. Storms were all around us, but other than a brief sprinkle we played dry. I thoroughly enjoyed the day, especially getting to spend time with Art, my ol' golfing buddy from Mesquite.

I love what this foundation is doing. They provide assistance to families who are battling health crises -- mostly cancer. I was encouraging to see survivors there last night -- individuals and families whose lives have been changed as a result. The foundation was so helpful to us through Jenny's battle. I will forever be indebted to them. I am humbled to see how a family that suffered the pain of losing a child has channeled their energies into making life better for others.

If you think you might be interested in supporting such a foundation, visit at www.greggpearson.org.

The Easter Story

Today is a day commemorated with sadness. For me and my family, 14 months ago today we let our daughter go to be with Jesus. I have never experienced as heart-wrenching a day as that. The feelings of despair and hopelessness were overwhelming.

Approximately 1,980 years ago today, sadness overwhelmed the followers of the one called Jesus. (As a sidenote, there is reason to believe that Jesus was actually crucified on Thursday rather than Friday. But I will follow tradition here). No doubt, they too were overcome with feelings of hopelessness and despair.

But praise God that because of the events of Sunday, a Christ-follower never has to remain in hopelessness and despair. In fact, Sunday IS hope. And so I will camp on Sunday. The tomb is empty. He is risen! He is risen indeed! And because He is risen, I can rest on God's promise that my daughter is risen too.

I live in the Easter story.

Reviewing My Grief Readings

I have read a number of books over the last year on grief. Some I could never really get engaged with and deserted them halfway through. But a few I have found very helpful. Here is my review. If you find yourself on the grief journey, I hope you find it helpful.

First, the ones I could not fully get engaged in. This does not mean that they are not helpful. In fact, they could be exactly what you need:

I had trouble with C. S. Lewis' A Grief Observed. I love reading quotes from Lewis, but I find his writings difficult as a whole. This was written after his wife died from cancer. He is honest as he deals with his struggles and doubts and victories.

Randy Alcorn's If God is Good. This book is exhaustive in dealing with the subject of good and evil. I began it when things were really raw for me, and so maybe I should go back and give it another shot. I don't always agree with his Calvinistic views on things, but there are still things to gain from it.

John Mark Hicks' Yet I Will Trust Him. Written in response to the death of his wife. Again, no doubt a good book that I just had trouble engaging with. I will give it another shot at some point.

Now, for books that have been more beneficial for me:

Philip Yancey's Disappointment With God. I am a Yancey fan, and this book is one of the best I have ever read. I intend to read it again soon.

Terry Rush's God Will Make a Way. Simple, practical advice from someone I know personally as "the real deal."

Jerry Sittser's A Grace Disguised. Excellent book written by a man who experienced the loss of his wife, mother and daughter in a car wreck. A MUST-read for anyone in the grief journey.

I just finished a book that a friend of mine who is acquainted with grief mentioned to me a couple of times. Along with A Grace Disguised, it will be at the top of my "recommended list." Written by John Claypool back in the early 1970s, it is entitled Tracks of a Fellow Struggler. It is a short book, actually four sermons he preached during his 10-year old daughter's battle with, and subsequent death from, leukemia. In this book, Claypool speaks into my heart things that I probably would not receive very well from someone saying them to me (ESPECIALLY someone who hasn't "been there"). I have to sit with the book and chew on them. His last chapter about viewing life as a gift was challenging -- yet rewarding.

So there it is, for what it is worth. I would be interested in your feedback.

This is THE Week!

Due to a couple of ministry circumstances I found myself in last week, I feel like I was in faith-crisis mode. But a reorientation over the last couple of days is helping me. I must remember that faith and trust is a daily decision. My devotional reading this morning reminded me that, like the manna in the wilderness, we must seek peace with God every day. It can't be gathered up for tomorrow. He supplies us what we need each day. This is so that we will remember that it comes from Him.

This week is the week in which Christians place ALL their hope. I can't remember Easter ever falling this late in the spring. I NEED it. I am so ready.

I can't tell you how much Paul's words from 1 Corinthians 15: 12-19 mean to me today. So I want to end this blog sharing them with you:

But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

From Banquet to Buffet

Monday night was the 6th annual Wise County Christian Counseling dinner. YHWH-Jireh (The Lord Who Provides) continues to bless this ministry beyond anything I had ever dreamed. I am so proud of my wife and the way in which she spends herself for others. And she has so many loyal friends and coworkers who the Lord uses to make this happen.

I pray that the Lord will continue to provide this place where people can find healing and wholeness.

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Last night was our 2nd "Meat Night." There were 16 men who gathered to put down some ribs. Unfortunately, the restaurant ran out of ribs long before everyone got to order. But I think all the guys still enjoyed our time together. I don't know if there is any place we get to know people better than when we sit down at table. Maybe that is why we find Jesus eating so often with folks.

Prayer Requests and Masters Recap

I would like to place a couple of prayer requests before you:

Donna Moon, a member of our church, has been in the hospital for several days with an infection in her brain. Although she seems to be doing better, I know she and her family would appreciate your praying for her complete recovery.

A friend, John Scott, longtime preacher for the Saturn Road Church of Christ in Garland has a son named Shane. Shane went on a mission trip to Ghana recently, and upon returning discovered last week he has malaria. He is in very serious condition at Parkland Hospital in Dallas. Please be praying for Shane and his family, John and his wife Teresa.

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The Masters was great this year. Only one shot separated as many as 10 people as they reached the back nine yesterday. Tiger Woods looked like he was going to pull off one for the ages halfway through the final round, only to go cold. I was pulling for Adam Scott down the stretch. But it was a South African, Charl Schwartzel, who ended up winning.

The tragic figure in the story was Rory McElroy, the 21-year old phenom from Ireland. Going into the final round with a 4-shot lead, he hung in for 9 holes yesterday. Then disaster struck, and he ended up falling way down the leader board with a final round 80. However, what I will go away from this with is not so much remembering his collapse, but the grace he exhibited when interviewed after his round. He is a very impressive young man.

"For What It's Worth" Friday

So the government may shut down this morning. Think of all that productivity coming to a halt! (That comment was intended as sarcasm, in case you didn't notice).

The fight is over $40 billion dollars in tax cuts. Now here is a Congress that is really serious about dealing with the national debt. Right now it is running in excess of $1 TRILLION a year. If my math is right, $40 billion in cuts would reduce the deficit by .4%. That's right -- not even one half of one percent. And these guys can't even agree to that? What hope do we EVER have of dealing with the deficit issue?

And the scare tactics are incredible. Of course, the one issue that is being paraded is that our troops would not receive their checks. Is today payday? Or do they get paid every day? If the government shuts down today, it will not last long. All of this is political posturing. It would be political suicide to actually allow our troops to miss a paycheck.

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The state of Texas is considering raising the posted speed limit on some roads to 85. I have never been one who has a "need for speed", so this has no appeal to me. But 85? Doesn't that seem awfully fast?

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If you want to see what the "new earth" will look like, tune into the Masters this weekend. God is allowing us to get a peek at heaven there (this conclusion comes with a lot of scholarly research). By the way, my sermon Sunday comes from the last half of Romans 6 where Paul discusses our choice: slavery to sin or slavery to righteousness. We choose our master. So my title? "The Masters."

Sensational Media Stories

So Terry Jones and his church of 30 burned a copy of the Koran after putting it on trial. And the response of some in Afghanistan? The killing of a dozen people or more -- at least one by beheading.

Several observations: First, I wonder how a preacher of a church of 30 people can receive so much media attention? I mean, this guy has had top administration officials get involved in his antics. Isn't this a nothing story? How much responsibility does the media bear for making such a sensational story out of it?

Second, why do representatives of Islam overreact so much to things? If someone in Afghanistan burned a Bible (which I am sure they do), would we have a riot in one of our cities and kill dozens?

Third, am I also guilty of a similar prejudice to what those Moslems displayed? They think 30 fanatical "Christians" (I am being generous here in the definition. What they did does not resemble Christlikeness) represent the whole. But do I do that when I lump in all Moslems with the fringe terrorists? Now, I realize that burning a Koran does not rank up there with 9-11 and other atrocities. Yet I still need to wrestle with that question.

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And what about the 8-year old 2nd grader who was sprayed with mace by the police? When I first heard the lead-in to the story, I was thinking this seemed extreme.

Apparently, he had gone into a rage because of something to do with his bicycle, I think. He threatened to kill his teachers, who barricaded themselves in a closet. He threw desks and other objects, and pulled off a piece of the wall that he threatened them with. He yelled obscenities at the teachers and police officers.

And get this: This is the THIRD time the police have been called to that school because of his rages.

As I watched the interview, it seemed to be clear that his mother is enabling him. She was very defensive of him, and seemed to only want to highlight the excessive police actions.

After first thinking the police action was extreme, by the end of the interview I was left wondering what other action they could have taken.

Any thoughts?

Not Much Monday

If you are thinking about flying a kite here in Decatur today, be sure to wear lead boots.

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Well, it's Masters week. From the par 3 competition on Wednesday through the finish on Sunday, I plan to be watching.

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Rangers 162-0? It's still a possibility.

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The Mavs aren't exactly hitting their stride as the playoffs approach.

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I am adding this a little bit after the original blog. I have been keeping it a secret, so forgot that yesterday it became public knowledge. My youngest son, Jonathan, has accepted a job with the DFW fire department. He has long wanted to be a fireman. That means he and his precious family will be moving closer (YEAH!). In fact, they will be moving in with us until they can sell their house and find another.

I am excited!

My "Jenny Song"

Let me clear something up here. I was not arrested for possession yesterday. That is another Rick Ross. People often get us mixed up (even more so since I have grown a beard).

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Yesterday afternoon I went to play golf in Muenster -- nearly an hour away. As I drove, I decided to listen to Stephen Curtis Chapman. I haven't listened to him in a long time, although he is my favorite Contemporary Christian artist. I put his "Speechless" CD in (which in my own limited and humble opinion is the best CD ever). I thoroughly enjoyed hearing "Dive" and "Speechless" again. But as the CD got toward the end, a song came on that I had forgotten about. It overwhelmed me! The words are PERFECT in describing Jenny and our grief journey. So I have now adopted it as my "Jenny song."

Here are the words to "With Hope" -- but you might want to google it and actually listen to it:

This is not at all how we thought it was supposed to be
We had so many plans for you
We had so many dreams
And now you've gone away
And left us with the memories of your smile
And nothing we can say
And nothing we can do
Can take away the pain
The pain of losing you, but ...

We can cry with hope
We can say goodbye with hope
'Cause we know our goodbye is not the end, oh no
And we can grieve with hope
'Cause we believe with hope
(There's a place by God's grace)
There's a place where we'll see your face again
We'll see your face again

And never have I known anything so hard to understand
And never have I questioned more
The wisdom of God's plan
But through the cloud of tears
I see the Father smile and say well done
And I imagine you
Where you wanted most to be
Seeing all your dreams come true
'Cause now you're home
And now you're free, and ...

We can cry with hope
We can say goodbye with hope
'Cause we know our goodbye is not the end, oh no
And we can grieve with hope
'Cause we believe with hope
(There's a place by God's grace)
There's a place where we'll see your face again
We'll see your face again

We have this hope as an anchor
'Cause we believe that everything
God promised us is true, so ...

So we can cry with hope
And say goodbye with hope

We wait with hope
And we ache with hope
We hold on with hope
We let go with hope

Hang in There with Me

I want you to know that I have not quit blogging. I am just going through a season in which the idea well is kind of dry. I feel like constantly talking about my grief journey probably gets old to many readers -- but that IS where I am. Sports (other than golf) bore me right now. And I know that I am pretty much alone on the golf thing.

Speaking of golf, the Masters is right around the corner. Week after next. I think at the top of my bucket list would probably be to make a trip to the Masters some day. Hotter ticket than the Super Bowl or the Final 4, though.

And as much as public sentiment has turned against Tiger Woods, I would like to see him recover and regain his form again. Tournaments are just more exciting when he is in the thick of things.

Hmmm. I think I am feeling a 4-day virus coming on around April 7th.

Home from Memphis

Beverly, Malaya and I spent most of last week in Memphis with my son and his family. It was great to have that much time together. I haven't laughed that much in a long time. We also enjoyed great food together (some fixed by my daughter-in-law and some eaten out).

Last Monday, Malaya, Josh and I went to the National Civil Rights Museum. It is within the motel where Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. I have been there once before, and it is a convicting experience. I lived through much of the civil rights movement, and can vividly remember much of what was on display. I am struck by how easily we humans can fall into behaviors that are so ungodly -- and convince ourselves that they ARE godly. How the "Bible belt" South could have ever been so supportive of segregation still boggles me. But I can remember as a child not really thinking twice about it because it WAS the culture. I have come to see how Nazi Germany could have been so brainwashed by Hitler, because I have seen something nearly as inhuman and evil played out in Jackson, Mississippi in the 1960s, as well as throughout our country.

On Wednesday, I was invited to speak to a class at my son's church. They offer a class at 1 PM on Wednesday for those who don't want to be driving after dark in the evening. I enjoyed my time with those folks.

While we were doing that, Beverly and the rest of the crew went to the Memphis zoo. I wish I had been able to go with them, because this is a GREAT zoo! I have been to some of the best (including the San Diego and Fort Worth zoos, which are very nice), but this one holds its own.

Josh and I played golf on Thursday at Mirimichi, a golf course owned by Justin Timberlake. It is the 1st eco-friendly golf course in the US. I had played there once before, and really both of my visits there.

As always, though, it is good to be back home. Being a routine-type person, I always enjoy getting back into my "rhythm."

More Tragedy of the Fall

For the first time in a couple of weeks, I turned on the news this morning and didn't see or hear Charlie Sheen. It took an 8.9 earthquake, the 5th largest ever recorded, to shake him from the media's infatuation.

What a tragedy! And it continues to play out before our eyes. The resulting tsunami is expected to sweep across the Pacific in the next few hours -- striking our own U.S. west coast and Hawaii. I pray that God will protect those in its path.

This is yet another reminder of the consequences of living in a fallen world. And yet another reminder of how I long for the coming day when all is made right again. Come, Lord Jesus!

Sickness in Two Kingdoms

What's up with the Charlie Sheen obsession? This guy has obvious mental issues and is in desperate need of help, and the media have made him like an animal in the zoo that we gawk at and listen to every noise he makes -- laughing and being amused. Something is wrong with this. It speaks to the depravity of humanity.

I wish I could say that the Christian community is above such behavior. However, in the last couple of weeks, we have seen ugliness there as well. Rob Bell has written a book that has yet to be released. A couple of promotional blurbs is all that has been made available to the public. Yet, there are prominent Christian leaders who have already labeled Bell a "universalist."

The few people who have received advanced copies of the book, including someone from Christianity Today magazine, have said that they do not see how the accusation that Bell is a universalist can be reached from what he has written. How can you go public with an accusation of a fellow believer when you haven't even yet read what he said?

It appears to me that the accusers tend to be strong Calvinists. Perhaps they are attacking Bell because he doesn't fit their mold. I don't know for sure if that is the reason why, but it is ugly. It surely doesn't seem to be Christlike. But I have seen a lot of ugliness through the years that is masqueraded as "defending the faith."

All of this makes my heart ache for the day when God again makes everything right.

The Fellowship of Suffering

Today is Beverly's birthday. I love her birthday, because from now until October she can't say that I am older than she is. On this day a few years ago (I can't say her age, because I didn't ask for permission), God blessed the world with the birth of this little girl who has become a giant of the faith. What an honor that God allows me to journey beside her through life. What a blessing!

So happy birthday, my love!

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Saturday morning, Wise County Christian Counseling (Beverly's agency) hosted a Grief Seminar in the family room at the Decatur Church of Christ. Danny Mack, a friend who specializes in grief counseling, was the speaker. No one knew what to expect. Beverly had done a little advertising. She and Danny figured 20 people would be a good turn-out. Around 54 had rsvp'd by Friday.

On Saturday, over 70 people filled the room! We had people from Oklahoma -- and as far away as Tyler come.

More than anything, what this showed me is that there is a tremendous need to reach people who are grieving. Our culture does not do grieving well -- in large part because people don't allow others to grieve. As Danny pointed out, someone loses a spouse, child, etc. -- and they are given 3 days off to mourn. Three days?

Now, I understand the economics of this, and don't have any real answers for employers. But what do you think the productivity level of that grieving employee is? And according to statistics, such a person will miss 50 days of work over the next year (if I remember Danny's info right).

My point is that in our fast-paced culture, there is no time for grief. And so, rather than healthily dealing with it, we stuff it, mask it, put ourselves together with tape and glue -- and try to function. For the most part, we simply go through the motions. This cannot possibly be healthy.

I think that God is leading Beverly and me to a ministry that we never would have chosen. I have no doubt that for the rest of our lives, we will be reaching out to grieving people and journeying with them. We are still in the midst of our own journey. So this is where children of God link arms and travel together -- holding each other up. "The fellowship of suffering."

Go, Malaya!

Last night was Malaya's last basketball game for a while. They were playing the best team in the league. It was a close game, and our team was showing more grit than I had seen in previous games. Malaya got the ball down low and had a girl towering over her between her and the basket. She started a move up as if she was going to shoot, and came back down. She has not normally been very aggressive in her play. Then suddenly, she just took it up and over the girl guarding her -- and made it!

Tears came to my eyes as I watched her run down the court, with people in the stands cheering her name. She had the biggest "I want to smile, but don't want to act like it was a big deal" look on her face. I wish I had a picture of her pure joy.

By the way, we won!

I wish I knew what things are like on the other side of the thin veil. I would love to think that Jenny was watching. I can just see her cheering this daughter she loved so incredibly. And I can still hear her voice.

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Now to what is really important. Crisis in the Middle East. Economy still struggling. Budget deficits. And all the news wants to cover, it seems, is Charlie Sheen. Why, please tell me, is this so newsworthy? Why not cover the stories of people whose lives were messed up, but who have found redemption and hope and turned them around?

I'll never get it.

A Letter to Our "Church"

My precious wife wrote a beautiful letter that she had one of our shepherds read yesterday morning in our assembly. This letter represents how we feel about our extended "church" as well. So I wanted to share our thanks with so many of you:

Dear Church Family,

In February 2010, our family was dealt a blow that we never saw coming! We were devastated and absolutely broken. You were so faithful in standing with us in prayer over Jenny for healing and deliverance. You met every need we had before we even knew we needed it. Thank you.

On February 22 of last year, the darkness engulfed us as we said good-bye to our precious daughter and knew that part of us was dying as well.

While these events shocked us beyond what our minds could fathom or imagine, the Lord, in all His tenderness, had prepared us for it. He knew from the time He knit us together in our mothers’ wombs that we would bury our first-born. Although we do not believe that God “took” our daughter, we do believe He knew what the evil one would do and, in His lovingkindness, prepared us for it by placing us in this community of faith for ‘such a time as this’.

How we love Him for His provision! How we love you! And thank you for your love and support.

The Lord has used you repeatedly over the last year to pour His love, grace, and mercy into us with rich compassion. We braced for the one-year marker of this tragedy, and the Lord used you to pour into us. Your prayers over us have become treasures to our hearts.

Thank you protecting us and letting us catch our breath a bit. Please continue to pray.

We resolve to never serve another – no matter what! He is the Lord God Almighty. We are begging you to join us in that decision – that together (shoulder-to-shoulder, arm-in-arm) we will walk into the arms of Jesus. We will continue to remind each other that resurrection is real – it is what we live for! May His presence be thick around us as we wait for that day.

We absolutely love you!

Rick and Beverly Ross

“We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead…ON HIM WE HAVE SET OUR HOPE THAT HE WILL CONTINUE TO DELIVER US, AS YOU HELP US BY YOUR PRAYERS.”

2 Corinthians 1: 8-11

THE Man of Faith?

This week I am preaching from Romans 4. There Paul, in his desire to convince Jewish Christians that we are saved by grace through faith (trust) and not works, turns to their hero, Abraham. So I have been thinking a lot about Abraham this week. Actually, the last part of chapter 4 (next week's sermon) deals more directly with him.

Why is Abraham considered to be THE example of a man of faith in Scripture? Sure, he leaves his homeland when called by God. But there is good reason to believe that at that point he sees YHWH as simply another of his ancestral gods. And the story of his willingness to sacrifice Isaac in Genesis 22 is a powerful story of faith (trust). I still can't get my head around why God would have made such a seemingly barbaric request of him. Perhaps it represents a clear break from the pagan practices of his past?

But then you have TWO episodes in which, in order to save his own skin, Abraham allows his wife to be used as a concubine. I don't understand such cowardice from THE man of faith.

On another note, I have done extensive studies of David, and I always come away from them wondering, "How could this guy be called 'a man after God's own heart'?" He was brutal. He was a sexual predator at times. And while the psalms certainly reveal a heart that could be SO in tune with God, they also reveal a man who longed for revenge.

Maybe all of this is intended to show us that the focus should not be on these men, with their spiritual titles. When we hold them up to their titles, they leave us disappointed. So it seems to me that we would be better served to be directed to the God of love and mercy and grace, who chose to embrace these sinful men and use them for His purposes.

A Heartfelt Thank-You and A Rant All in One

I want to personally thank so many of you for praying for us this month. While it has been difficult, the peace we have felt is due in large part to so many prayers being offered up for us. Tuesday had its tough moments. Yet perfectly spaced throughout the day were texts from friends reminding us that we were being carried. We went to the cemetery and had an emotional time there. Tuesday evening we went to The Cheesecake Factory because it was Jenny's favorite restaurant.

We are indebted as a family to you.

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OK, time for a Rick Ross "Big Oil" rant. I am NOT a fan of big oil companies. How many wars have we fought to "defend our freedoms" that actually had at their heart protecting the interests of big oil? And yet, I do not know how a corporation could be less patriotic than the Big Oil companies are. Their power is scary. We have enough natural gas reserves in the USA to meet our energy needs for hundreds of years. Why aren't we developing that? Why isn't there a greater push to develop other alternative fuels? Because our politicians hands are dripping with oil. Instead of having their palms "greased," they have been "oiled."

I know of their tactics 1st-hand -- having worked for an oil company for several years. I have seen the way that they create "shortages" -- while full oil tankers sit in a row out in the Gulf looking like a downtown freeway at 5:30 in the afternoon.

So here is Libya, a country that produces about 2% of the world's crude. Saudi Arabia, one of the more stable Arabic nations, has said that they can easily meet any shortfall in Libyan oil production. So why is there a "crisis"? Well, I'll let you guess.

Now get this: While we as a nation are being told that we will need to sacrifice in order to pull out of this recession, and just as recovery was picking up momentum -- who stands to make outlandish profits while perhaps throwing us back into another recession or stagnant growth? Exxon-Mobil. BP. Shell. They are shameless.

We have watched the Middle East, as nation after nation falls into revolt against oppressive and ruthless leaders. Maybe it's time that Americans revolt against the tyranny of Big Oil.