Courageous Acts Deserve Courageous Rewards!

It has been said that there are so few courageous acts, yet we can share the story of one we just came across today that will touch your heart.

Captain Bill Dowling of the Houston Fire Department performed one such act recently when he responded to a hotel fire in Southwest Houston in May of this year.

It was there that four firefighters died, and 13 others were injured as a result of the courage. Dowling lost both of his legs fighting the fire, and as of today he still cannot speak.

He currently has physical therapy each week, and naturally he only plans to make progress. The great part of this story is that the end result of his courageous acts aren't dampering his spirit.

Needless to say, his family is quite proud, and on Saturday he received an award for his courage from Liberty Mutual as part of the awards they use to honor firefighters around the country. While Dowling's wife Jacki would turn back the hands of time if she could to have her husband the way he was prior to this event, she could only smile when her husband was given the award over the weekend.

Kathy Huynh, the representative for Liberty Mutual that was at their home to present the plaque said that, "It was a very emotional moment for us." She shared with the family that 100 firefighters are honored each year, and only two are selected for this special award.

It was Dowling's co-workers at the Fire Deparment that shared his story of his courageous acts about his attempt at helping fight the fire. Dowling was in tears while trying to express a thank you for this award with this wife and children present, which in turn brought emotion from his wife Jacki.

Knowing that he was trying to show gratitude is how she knows he is sharing some joy and light through his brokenness that comes with the reality of losing limbs and being limited in the scope of one's job. How would you handle this?

Knowing the risks that come with the job didn't stop Captain Bill Dowling from his courageous acts. Instead, he did what he knew to do best, risking his life and limbs to save the livers of others. It is all too often that we don't think about the risks these firefighters take, along with police officers, and others that serve our community every day.

What would you do? Would you stop being courageous? Would you continue to do what you do best in an attempt to help others? We believe that our firefighters are so important, along with law enforcement officers, nurses and doctors that help people every day.

Don't ever let fear damper your "courageous acts"!

Profiles in Courage Begins....

Profiles in Courage is something we are going to be talking about, but you should know it is in fact a book title. The book as you can see was written by Senator John F. Kennedy, and it was written to talk about Americans that had proven to be courageous, and set amazing examples for our country.

So, who is in this book, and why does it matter? The book talks about political courage, those that made a difference in our country, and why they did the things they did. The book was written in 1954, while he was recovering from back surgery, because he had time to reflect.

So, how can the book change your life, and is it worth reading?

The book discusses politicians doing what is right, and it almost these individuals doing what is right. A joke? No, at the time he was completely sincere as he was reflecting on this issue.

Hence, the book Profiles in Courage was born, and it was focused on discussing the courage of eight senators that Kennedy believed were a great example of courage in leadership.

The question we have for you today is this; Do you feel that our country's leaders should read this book? Our country is in complete disarray and we need leaders that have courage to do right, now more than we ever did before.

Should Our Country's Leaders Be Required to Read Profiles in Courage?

I always find it interesting that our youngsters are required to read certain things when in school, yet many of our leaders don't require staff to read certain books as a part of their position. 

There is never a time when we stop learning, and this Pulitzer Prize winning book is just what many of our leaders need to be reading. It wouldn't hurt us to read it as citizens that have no political standing, position, or even much of an opinion, as to be a leader requires change, and it's a bonus when people are teachable. 

Kennedy focuses on eight different Senators in this book, and he also shares his pain and struggle with his back surgery and his recovery period. Kennedy also focuses on his time in World War II while on a boat as a PT commander, and how it affected his life. 

Because Kennedy was so willing to share the three main struggles that senators face, there is no doubt a new found respect for these folks as we often criticize our leaders rather than pray for them. The leaders in our country need direction, and as we pray for them, they just might improve. 

Pray for our country's leaders, and if you can, pick up a copy of this book. I get nothing from it if you buy it, but my desire is that in writing these profiles, that you will know and understand that there are individuals that have been at the headship of our country that can teach us something, and teach you that having courage is all you really need. 

Will you choose to live courageously? Check back soon for more on the profiles in courage, and you can CLICK HERE to learn how you can share your courage with others!