A letter of encouragment

Hey there sports fans, who luvs ya?!
This week we started studying Paul's letter to the church in Philippi with Philippians 1:1-11

It's important to remember that this isn't a book, it's a letter- and letters are PERSONAL. If you write a book, you hope that people will read it, maybe that you'll get a message out, maybe that you'll make some money. When you write a letter, its to someone specific that you want to say something specific to. Often it's to someone you care about and you have something you feel is important to share with them.

I hope you'll think of these blog posts like letters. There are specific people I wish I could write to about Philippians. All of my past, present, and future cheerleaders. Philippians is the letter in the Bible where Paul is trying to cheer people on, to encourage them to stay on course and to keep there spirits up. That's what cheerleading is all about too.

To the kids and friends I know who either have or are struggling with depression. I often have to fight it myself, but those of you who have cut or cried or needed to be put on medication or ever considered suicide. Philippians is a letter that has advice and exercises in it for hanging on and pulling through.

For everyone who faces stress and discouragement, whether you've had setbacks in school or relationships or you're going through hard times in your family or some goal or dream you've been chasing. Philippians helps you keep your focus and not let things grind you down and get you stuck in the muck.

I'd like to help Rena and Christian and Sam be more positive.
I'd like to give Megan some hope.
I'd like to encourage Bethany, Christine and Sasha and Kensie in their faiths, help them grow and learn how to serve and love doing it.
I'd really like to get to know Amy, Brandon, and Kysa better and help them to take God's Word from their heads and put it in their hearts.
I'd like to write Amanda, Heather, Victoria, Xela, Christina, Mike, Leon, Alvin, Kristen, Jamie, and Nyasha and lots of others (sorry if I left anybody out) the way I did when they were back at LHS...

Paul wanted to encourage the Philippians to remain strong in their faith, while Christianity began coming under pressure from the Roman empire and had to compete with appealing new philosophies like Stoicism (grin and bear it), Epicureanism (eat, drink, and be merry) and Gnosticism (Jesus wasn't really God, God is in all of us and all of us can become godlike).

Paul started the way many Pastors start their sermons (wonder where they got it?) verse 1:2
"Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."

And that's my wish for all of you too.

Me ka pule, (with prayers)

Ted