In spite of my best efforts, even with all my exhortations to those around me to choose joy, it occurs to me that I am thinking “under seige” thoughts. When I mentioned to others the idea that we might bless our own and each others’ hearts by talking dreams, by deliberately acting and speaking as though we have God’s promised “hope and future”, it was “whoosh” — right over their heads.

“Yeah, and anyway, let’s forget that nonsense and talk about some other nonsense.”

Sometimes you gotta go it alone, with a revelation that’s just between you and Jesus. Sometimes the Holy Spirit wants to hang out with you and develop this line of thinking: Maybe you should change your thinking. Maybe enough is enough.

I’ve heard authors say that once they send out a manuscript, it’s wise to have another one underway. This way, if the manuscript is rejected, they’re not caught dead in the water, all their hopes and dreams focused on that one thing.

In a nutshell, I’m saying that we should be unmoved by what we see and hear. We should only listen to the Holy Spirit, take no note of “evil reports”, be aware that God’s not kidding when he says, “Bad company (news) corrupts” and finally, to “be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

I say let’s begin overcoming evil by doing the exact opposite of what our feelings, fears, and the enemy of our souls would have us do. Instead of doing dread and doldrums, let’s dance and dream.