Taking the fight out of the enemy.

Hi There.

I must first draw attention to a spelling blooper I made yesterday. I accidentally wrote drewel instead of drool which okay, funny, I misspelled the word. (And you know, I remember I kept looking at the word and thinking it looked funny but just couldn't put my finger on what was wrong with it - perhaps spell check would have been a wise choice, ha). But I realized this morning it's spelled drool, not drewel. I laughed so hard. It may not seem as if it's a big deal, but for those of you who don't know, I had a professor in college who was really life-changing. She challenged me and presented me with ideas and materials that really have shaped my life. Her name? Professor Christine Drewel and best yet --- I send her these emails. So, basically, I inserted the name of the teacher who I hold in the highest respect and regards in the place of the word drool...how embarrassing!

So Professor Drewel, my sincerest apologies for my spelling blooper yesterday. I know you're probably having a good hard laugh at all of this yourself. Good thing you weren't my spelling teacher because then it would have been a double whammy...ha.

Anyway, let's move on...for my sake...

One of my friends, Slade Searight, wrote me the other day. He wrapped his email up with this story. It's so beautiful and inspirational I just had to share it:

I'll leave you with this...while in training to be a Special Agent in Virginia, we were beaten down again and again and again and again. They ran us until they knew we would pass out or throw up. They made us fight one another during defensive tactics training to the point of being knocked out. We were bruised, cut, broken and bleeding. Do you know what the point of all this was?

To see who would get up.

"Where are my quitters?" The lead instructors would yell this constantly during the first couple weeks. "Just raise your hand, and it will all be over. We'll even give you a nice meal and all the water you can drink while the rest of these people suffer. Who has had enough?" After the first couple miles, everyone's a tough guy. But, after mile 8, and 200 push ups, and enough sit ups to make you feel like vomiting, and being forced to swim across a lake and then roll in sand...a nice meal and all the water one can drink starts to sound real nice. It's inevitable...there are always a few who raise their hand. It's designed that way. The promise is kept; they are given a nice meal, all the water they want, and they are given about 2 hours to pack their bags until the bus arrives to take them to the airport. They chose to give in...and it was the easiest thing in the world to do.
In my case, it was expected. All the instructors knew that I was in seminary, of all places, before coming to the academy. They didn't think I'd make it 2 seconds, this religious Christian wimp from Michigan. What they didn't know was that I had military experience. That, more importantly, I was a soldier in Jesus' revolution. That I wasn't going to quit, no matter how tough it got, because I felt so strongly that God was proud of me to be taking on this job, certainly a road less traveled. Eventually, I earned the respect of the instructors and my classmates, and the Christian seminary student was voted to be the class speaker at graduation. Evil got in some licks, but I got up...again and again. I will NEVER stay down. I will always get back up. I invite you to do the same, pretty girl. No matter what, get up. If you need help, ask and I will help you get up. Lord knows I have needed help getting up time and time again. Never, ever stay down and let evil smirk at you. No matter how much it hurts, keep getting up...it will take the fight out of the enemy, even if you don't have anything left to throw at him.

- Me

Beautiful...

Cheering you on as you find yourself pressing on.

May you find yourself getting up again and again and again....and then...again.

Kaylee