Book of Heroes

I went to a book fair a couple weeks ago and saw a book a journalist had put together for his sons. It looked like a great find, but it was a little too much for me - considering I already had a few books in hand. Anyway, as we headed back to the house, I started thinking about the different people I consider to be heroes. And I think I could make my own Book of Heroes for my girls. I think I'll find a pic of the person and write a short bio and compile them into a binder of some sort. Some people I want to put in there would include:

Helen Keller

 Helen Keller - she has always fascinated me. She became very ill as a child and it caused her to become blind and deaf. But she was blessed with an amazingly patient woman who taught her how to communicate. She inspires me.

Benjamin Franklin - statesman, inventor, librarian, journalist, scientist - what did that man not do? I've always wondered how he did SO much. I hope he loved the Lord, because I'd sure love to visit with that man some day.

Lee Jong-rak from South Korea - A pastor who takes in disabled children that others leave at his home. Amazingly beautiful story. You can find the article here if you want to read it all. I cried.

Catherine Hamlin - a lady from Australia who moved to Ethiopia with her husband and developed a surgery to help ladies with childbirth injuries known as fistula. She and her staff have treated over 34,000 women, and have never charged to do so. There is a book about her - The Hospital by the River, and the movie A Walk to Beautiful also features her work there. Wow.This woman inspires me.

Sam Childers  - He built an orphanage for children affected by the war in Sudan, and continues to serve with the Sudanese People's Liberation Army to protect people from the madmen in the Lord's Resistance Army. You can find his book here.

This is a short list to start, but I'm sure I will be adding more as time goes on. I'm pleased to say that I have good friends who will definitely be included on that list. Friends like Karisse, whose body is scarred from having so many cancer surgeries - and still loves and serves God in spite of the frustrations of not knowing how long she will be cancer free. Or Don and Heather, who have eight children of their own, and yet still adopted a little guy because he had been burned badly by his mother. Friends who travel the world to serve overseas and friends who stay home to love those in their own hometown. Heroes are everywhere - it just takes a little time with someone to be inspired by their story.