Today, I want to encourage all of my fellow DREAMERS with God-given dreams, who have been looked down upon, turned down, left out, or even talked about, many times by fellow Christ-followers.  I know, personally, how much it hurts to hear or read some of the things you have heard being said about you as you pursue your dream.  Similarly, not hearing an encouraging word from some of the people close to you might also hurt and cause you to ask “Did I really hear from God?” or “Am I chasing the wrong dream?”  You don’t have to be an over-sensitive for this to hurt your feelings.  Sometimes, even the people that you look up to in your area of calling will try to make you feel insignificant.  Why is that?  Could it be that they see something great in you and feel threatened by what they see?  Could it be that they believe that there’s only room for a few people in that particular field?  Whatever the reason, today I ask you to remember Joseph.  His story (one of my most favorites) can be found in Genesis Chapters 37 – 45 of the Bible. Joseph was a dreamer and one day he shared his dream with his brothers.  In the dream, Joseph and his brothers were tying up bundles of grain in a field, when his bundle stood up and his brothers’ bundles gathered around and bowed down to his.  Joseph’s brothers hated him because of this dream.  He shared a second dream with his brothers.  In the second dream, the sun, moon and eleven stars were bowing down to him.  His brothers became jealous of him and planned to kill him. Joseph’s story takes several exciting twists and turns, with his brothers plotting to kill him, but instead selling him into slavery.  He was thrown in pit, thrown in prison, falsely accused and forgotten in prison.  But his story did not end there.  In the end, he became the second most powerful man in a foreign land and the same brothers that ridiculed and hated him, bowed down to him.  What an awesome reminder that what the enemy plans to use for evil, God can turn around for our good! So, my fellow dreamers, I pray that the following helps you in some way. 7 WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT FOR FELLOW DREAMERS (OF GOD-GIVEN DREAMS) 1.      Believe that it can come true.  If God gave you the dream, regardless of how impossible it may seem, the dream will be fulfilled.  You might go through some tough situations to get there, but don’t lose heart – God will make it happen. 2.      Others’ opinions of you do not define you.  Those looking down on you or trying to keep you out of their clique just might see something in you that intimidates them.  They might be (dare I say it) envious of the potential they see in you.  Remember Joseph! 3.      Sometimes, bad things happen even when you are following all the rules and doing what you are supposed to be doing.  That does not necessarily mean that you are on the wrong path.  It happened to Joseph.  His brothers saw him approaching they said to each other “Here comes that dreamer” and began plotting to kill him.  Joseph went to them in obedience to his father’s instruction to check to see if all was well with them and the flocks. 4.      There is no need to hide your talents or dumb yourself down just to be liked or to fit in with the crowd.  That would not be fully using the gifts/talents God gave you.  In fact, God expects you to GROW what He has given you, not hide it.  You would be doing God, yourself and the world a great disservice if you did otherwise.  I know someone who was an A student when she began high school, but because it was not “cool” to be smart, or because some of the popular students were not making A’s, she decided to purposely do things to lower her GPA.  She later regretted it.  Similarly, if you downplay your strengths because of someone else’s insecurities, or so that you can fit in, sooner or later you will regret it. 5.      There is enough room at the top for EVERYONE that wants to be in that profession or field or area of ministry.  So what if there are 999 other professional drummers in your city?  Go ahead and become number 1000!  And if you know someone else who has the same gift, you can encourage him or her to be number 1001.  Please do not hold someone else down, in order that you may shine.  Just because there are 5,000 doctors where I live does not mean that I should be discouraged from becoming a doctor, if that is my dream.  We are all unique and will bring something different to the table. 6.      It is ok to NOT fit in.  It is ok to be Different, Unique, Special.  God designed each of us the way He saw fit.  So what, if your voice is deeper than all the other singers in your circle?  That is how God designed you and it’s up to you to use what He gave you.  You are fearfully and wonderfully made! 7.      Pass the baton.  I believe the mark of true leaders (in whatever field) is that they build up other leaders.  When you make it, please don’t forget what it was like before you made it.  Give back to those who are trying to get to where you are. Friends, if God gave you that dream, He is able to make it happen and take you places you could never go on your own, to the glory of His name.  So keep on dreaming, while doing your part to make your dreams come true.  I believe in what God can do through YOU!  #goconquer Much love, Emem