The Scriptures report that there is the "power of life and death" in the tongue. As God's Word became flesh and transformed the lives of many, so our words have the power to bring life to others or simply change the very atmosphere we walk in. We create or tear down with the things we say. We shape attitudes, expectations, and situations. We foster life or we further death. Think about it for a minute; we have influence in our lives all around us. Complaining can be seen in many ways as resentment over unmet expectations. But it is an expression that serves only to affirm our "own expectations" whether they are based on a faulty reality or not. It is an expression that says, "I refuse to re-evaluate my perspective, to reposition my gaze to a higher altitude. I am right and this is all that I will see." Many can portray this in life and influence others, but the reverse is also true that people can be strongly influenced by the positive and be much happier there (I know full well that positive people are much more fun to be around). When Jesus proclaimed "I am the bread of life," the crowds had a hard time accepting his words. The Gospel of John says, "When many of his disciples heard it, they said, 'This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?' But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, 'Do you take offence at this? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?'" (John 6:60-62). He seems to say, "Do you realize what you are saying? Will you only see what you expect to see? If the truth itself were in front of you, would you even then refuse to believe?" As finding sunshine may be a matter of lifting our gaze, so joy is a matter of vision, and expectation. Peter writes of our certain hope in Christ, "You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place" (2 Peter 1:19). Are we gazing only at the looming darkness? Do we grumble among ourselves in the dark of failed expectation? Might there be more to see? Is there a hope beyond the veil? Is it easier to always look on the dark side of life? When all the time Christ in you is the LIGHT OF THE WORLD. YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!! Hallelujah. Well they are some of my thoughts, Pastor Rob