Heartbeat Press - July 2026 Edition

Lessons From The Well - Seeing Value
    

    In her book "Unplanned," Abby Johnson, the world's preeminent authority on Pro-Life work after abortion, recounts her impression of the Pro-Lifers who picketed outside her Planned Parenthood facility in the early days of her tenure in the industry. As a naive college student who had begun volunteering as a parking lot escort, the constant presence of judgmental onlookers and disruptive prayer warriors left a bad taste in her mouth. To Johnson, the picketers embodied hate and a staunchly anti-feminist ideology that clashed with the worldview she had embraced in college. Planned Parenthood's training, which marked all Pro-Lifers as "the enemy," also colored her perspective. Though Johnson would later realize that the majority of these individuals were a peaceful and powerful presence of conviction, at the time their fault was all but proven by the extremists who screamed at women that they were evil, degenerate people while waving pictures of mutilated baby body parts (which Johnson trusted were fake). As a result, Johnson remained confident in her side of the issue for decades. After all, how could her care of women be wrong if the other side hurled insults and abuse as outreach tactics?

    Softened by 40 Days for Life's gentler approach to ministry (spearheaded by Sean Carney around the same time Johnson was rising in Planned Parenthood's ranks) and a few more decades of experience, blunt acts of Pro-Life action are few and far between nowadays. Most Pro-Life advocates agree that prayer, calm presence, and a listening ear are far more effective while championing life and often encourage those in need to approach them without fear of condemnation. Unfortunately, belligerent behavior and, more often, rampant preconceptions are still sometimes hurled at women seeking answers (albeit in the wrong place at Planned Parenthood). These ungracious tactics fail spectacularly 99% of the time and completely ignore the humanity of women with unplanned pregnancies. At their most vulnerable, these women need love and practical aid, not judgement. 

    For a clear picture of what gracious interaction should look like we can turn to John 4, in which the author recounts Jesus' interaction with a Samaritan woman that was as groundbreaking as it was unexpected. Finding Jesus (a Jewish man) at a Samaritan source of water that she herself had slunk to (as an outcast from her own society), the Samaritan woman didn't expect to have any (let alone a positive) interaction while running her errand. And yet, Jesus spoke to her kindly, revealed His true deific identity, and bestowed profound grace upon her. What makes these acts truly spectacular, though, is the fact that, as God, Jesus knew the Samaritan woman better than she knew herself. Every fault, sin, evil act, and doubt. Her tattered life and her human attempts to fix it. Everything she had ever done that made her unworthy to even grovel in His perfect presence was utterly laid bare in those moments as the God of the universe existing on earth looked the wreckage of His perfect creation in the eye. And despite it all, He still loved her. He didn't love her regardless of everything she'd done; He only loved her, and that changed her life.

    Declaring to the world shortly afterwards, "Come, see the man who told me all I ever did. Can this be the Christ?" the Samaritan woman may not have known exactly how powerful her conversation with the Man from Galilee was, but she knew something had changed, enough that she could feel the weight of the world lift from her shoulders such that she wanted to tell that same world about her newfound peace. The Samaritan woman got a glimpse of heaven, revealed through love, which gave her the inspiration to be different than all she had been. 

    We cannot see the complete ruin of someone's life, and we have no power to correct the small pieces of visible wreckage...but we are called to be Christ's hands and feet on earth, and in that capacity, love, not anger, is required. Returning to Abby Johnson's misconceptions: She recalls being strangely impacted by the presence of the quiet, prayerful, and friendly Pro-Lifer's outside her gate. She couldn't understand how they could be so kind and exude an unquenchable joy to everyone they encountered or how the could show up every day - rain or shine, blue sky or sleet - and still sing hymns, pray without ceasing, and wish her a good morning. It was unnatural but fiercely life-saving and evident of divine peace. When Johnson eventually left Planned Parenthood, she sought out these Pro-Lifers because she knew (despite everything she had done) they truly loved her and would do anything to see her freed from her past. Abortion-seeking and post-abortive women who have encountered this brand of Pro-Life work recount similar stories. Within the movement they found forgiveness and hope because their actions simply didn't matter, only their worth as children of God.

    Do you see God-gifted value in everyone you encounter? Abortion seekers? Pro-Choice Individuals? Abortion Workers? Do you see them as this world sees them or as the beautiful creations of Christ that they are meant to be? Can you love them, sins and all? Every human being has been purposely made and is, therefore, deserving of grace. Implement the lesson from the woman at the well, and dare to see that worth.    

Sources: John 4 (ESV), Unplanned by Abby Johnson 

Photo Credit: Peculiar Faith.com 

Fawn

The mother deer is weeping for her fawn,

Murdered upon the pavement.

Struck by a car yesterday because,

The driver figured it was no great loss. 

Sprawled on the side of the road,

In a beautiful forever repose.

Life was short,

But I've a hunch, worthwhile. 

Photo Credit: Pinterest

Heartbeat Press - June 2026 Edition

A Unique Joy - One Gene Does Not Determine Worth

    Celebrating its fourteenth birthday on March 21, 2026, World Down Syndrome Day continually seeks to recognize the six million people worldwide who have the condition and to highlight the many accomplishments of these unique individuals - from both genders, all ages, and every race. First diagnosed in 1866 by John Langdon Down and officially attributed to an extra chromosome in 1959 by French scientists Lejeune, Gautier, and Turpin, Down Syndrome is officially described as “a genetic condition where a person is born with an extra copy of chromosome 21 - affect(ing) how (his or her) brain and body develop(s).” It is the most common chromosomal condition diagnosed in the U.S. and an estimated 5,700 American babies are born with the condition every year. In conjunction, advancements in health care and lifestyle aid have vastly improved quality of life for individuals with Down Syndrome in recent decades. Now widely accepted in modern society (with special resources readily available for individuals with the condition and educational information on hand for the masses), Down Syndrome has ceased to be such an oddity...but it wasn’t always this way.

    Down Syndrome has existed since time immemorial, as is evident from historical records, art, and excavated remains, meaning that humanity has experienced the condition nearly as long as man himself has existed. Still, as recently as the 1970s and ‘80s, Down Syndrome was criminally misunderstood by the general public and, more often than not, treated as a severe deficiency warranting shame instead of understanding. Labeled as stupid or burdensome to their families, individuals with the condition where not afforded basic services or education. They were often remanded to institutional care (usually for life, beginning at a very young age) or sold to traveling shows as oddities (usually billed as “freaks”), and even those who avoided these hardships were still mistreated on the grounds that they were less than able. Amidst the eugenics movement of the 18/1900s, along with other people deemed “stupid” or “deficient,” people with Down Syndrome could be sterilized against their will (an act which lauded eugenicist and Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger whole-heartedly supported) and many were also part of the estimated 300,000 people murdered in Nazi death camps because their physical or mental differences didn’t align with German Master Race ideology.

    Even today, after laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act (1990) and organizations like the National Down Syndrome Society (1979) were eventually created to protect differently-abled individuals and public education began to improve in the latter half of the 20th century, the scars of early mistreatment still ache and, unseen by most, have only dropped beneath the surface in our modern “inclusive” society. According to the United States Congress Joint Economic Committee, 60-90% of babies prenatally diagnosed with Down Syndrome are automatically slated for death (requiring their parents to fight for their child’s life if they value it enough). Many are the abortion industry’s targets - with 70% of American Down Syndrome diagnoses ending in abortion and countries like Iceland advertising its near elimination of the condition through ability-selective termination. Fearful language like “disability” and “poor quality of life” remain the close shadow of these individuals and an overall air of self-aggrandizing sympathy still hovers around Down Syndrome despite the beauty, accomplishment, and joy of those with the condition.

    What is lost when Down Syndrome is destroyed? An entire life that had promise and a purpose. Abundant laughter and sparkling eyes full of wonder. Two arms that give hugs freely and without reservation. Lessons in kindness, patience, and enthusiasm that society desperately needs. A unique joy that individuals with Down Syndrome exude to brighten the world around them. All of this, gone in an instant because we couldn’t see its usefulness or get past our own fear of variety. However, I would like to challenge my readers to be better than this (even those ardent Pro-Lifers who haven’t yet admitted that they bristle a little when confronted with the “unusual”). The world holds so much potential for joy and friendship and little life lessons, and every human being has a unique and perfectly-gifted part to play in this brightening. I am no expert, but I would hazard a guess that individuals with Down Syndrome have been purposefully granted a few extra measures of light to share. Don’t be so narrow-minded as to discount this because the bearers look, sound, and act a little differently than you. After all, every human is a beautiful image of his/her creator and He ultimately decides how best they can lighten this world.

    Finally, oftentimes fear of the unusual stems from a lack of familiarity with it. Therefore, I challenge all my readers to better acquaint themselves with Down Syndrome as a whole. Read about it, learn what causes it, and most importantly get out and meet the people thriving with it. I guarantee that your heart will warm exponentially and that you will be pleasantly surprised in ways you never thought possible.

Sources: CDC.gov, UN.org, Global Down Syndrome.org, PMC.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, Cleveland Clinic, Global Down Syndrome Foundation, The Beehive, News Medical.net, Global Down Syndrome Foundation, Live Science Plus

Photo Credit: Stock.Adobe.com

Summer Storm, Rolling In

I watched a summer storm roll in...

Lightening strikes near by in the quickly seceding sky,

The river water is choppy,

And a little girl swings higher, 

Than she's ever gone before.

The whispering trees shiver with dark blue behind them,

Thunder rumbles.

Skin pricks up in the presence of gathering electricity, 

And the sun dies for an afternoon.

A pure white gull circles in protest,

The wind is crying rain.

Mountainous black clouds roil over the horizon,

And a single gasp signals the plunge. 

Photo Credit: Pinterest

Sea and Stars

We are oceans and stars colliding.

Deep and dark...full of regrets,

Lofty and sparkling...with endless infinity. 

Photo Credit: Pinterest

Waves

The waves envelope me...completely and utterly,

But I do not fear them.

Instead I embrace the comfort of deep blue,

Strong rushing arms and the silence whisper...

                                                             ...

...of fathoms upon fathoms to hold me. 

Photo Credit: Pinterest

Death on the Road

I met death today,

Standing on the side of the road.

He looked at me with eyes of amber,

And said "I'm not here for you."

Instead "The World is so beautiful...

That I take just one moment to experience it.

So when it's all over I can remind man,

Why life was worth while. 

Photo Credit Pinterest 

European Summer

Europe, last day here.

I walked to a grocery store,

And basked in late sun. 

Photo Credit: Pinterest

Heartbeat Press - March 2026 Edition

Tinsel Town Troublemakers - Meet The Stars Going Against the Grain 

    On Monday, March 15, 2026, thirty-six year old actress Jessie Buckley won the best actress Academy Award for her role in the Shakespeare-inspired film Hamnet. Dedicating the award to "the beautiful chaos of a mother's heart," Buckley also took a moment during her acceptance speech to thank her husband for his support and to send a special message of love to her young daughter, who she "can't wait to discover life beside," creating a precious picture of what really matters in the actress's life amidst the fever pitch of Hollywood's biggest night. Buckley's speech is also particularly powerful as it acts as a counterpoint to the general Hollywood consensus that says that marriage and children are nothing but roadblocks to self-gratifying success and, as such, are better avoided or disposed of. 

    Previously explored in a Heartbeat Press The Blacklist column, this attitude was on stark display at another award ceremony in 2019, where actress Michelle Williams credited previous abortions for her success (sparking cheers and applause from the attending audience) and is the general attitude of Tinsel Town, where residents either have no love for Pro-Life ideals or, alternatively, have gone along with majority morality because of an innate need to conform. Psychology suggests that this need to be a part of something is not always a bad thing, but, in cases where it is used as a pulse point for anonymity-driven atrocity endorsement, the "herd" is not on the right side of history. Psychology also suggests that deviating from Herd Mentality is not impossible - but doing so often takes strength and (in many cases) personal past experience coaxing morality down the path less traveled. To this end, Jessie Buckley is not the only actor in Hollywood who values life and familial fulfillment; her allies are simply, seemingly, few and far between. However, that hardly matters when their stories are as powerful as their voices are thunderous. 

    Actress and proud mother of four Patricia Heaton (Everybody Loves Raymond and The Middle) is Pro-Life and has absolutely no qualms about declaring those beliefs loud enough for everyone to hear. Having been quoted supporting mothers ("A woman experiencing an unplanned pregnancy also deserves to experience unplanned joy." - 2010), Heaton has also been particularly vocal about the need to recognize the science behind pregnancy, which is often ignored when making way for abortion justification. Heaton has been quoted on this issue several times, saying, "I know this is hard for you to grasp; but women of all kinds who are pro-science and anti-violence don't believe that ending the life of your developing son or daughter in your womb is liberating or progressive. It's tyrannical and barbaric," and "Life begins at conception. Said every scientist ever." Known for playing fierce mothers who don't apologize for defending their children, Patricia Heaton evidently carries that same gumption into real life and her personal principles. 

    Kelsey Grammer, famous for playing TV's most pedantic psychiatrist, knows a little something about Herd Mentality and he is part of the Pro-Life movement. After carelessly accepting abortion for decades, Grammer changed his views and has spoken about the transformation as recently as 2025, while promoting his memoir Karen: A Brother Remembers. In an interview, the actor spoke about the sorrow he felt over the loss of his sister and likened it to the grief and guilt he has born toward children that he allowed two former partners to abort. One was willingly terminated in order to save the life of a preborn twin (though there are success stories where selective abortion proved to be unnecessary) and the other was done because Grammer did not have the strength to champion his child's life. Speaking on this death, Grammer said he was "willing" to keep the child but "did not plead with her to save his life." However, the murder of the actor's sister six months after the abortion and the natural growth of personal morals over the years have since shifted Grammer's perspective on the preciousness of life, which he now boldly defends. Fervently clinging to a faith that also grew out of sorrow, Grammer recognizes the redemption that all his failings have been afforded, saying, "Jesus made a difference in my life. That's not anything I'll apologize for." 

    Pro-Life pariah status in Hollywood is not only limited to TV. World famous film actress Brooke Shields has condemned abortion, calling the practice's use as birth control "very wrong," and Dune actor Timothée Chalamet has vocally bucked another aspect of the self-centered Cinema City starter-kit by noting his earnest desire to be a father one day, calling a life without children "bleak." Even celebrities like Justin Bieber, Jack Nicholson, and Celine Dion have championed the Pro-Life movement because they were each saved from abortion by mothers who valued and chose life. 

    Clearly, the Pro-Life movement is not absent from a city known for its worship of self-promotion at any cost. It is simply present in a small but formidable minority that sees no reason why truth cannot win the day, and that is precisely where the power of the Pro-Life movement lies. After all, if the movies are to be believed, the underdog always triumphs. 

Sources: Ebsco.com, People.com, Pinterest.com, Follow Jesus (facebook), Popcrush.com 

Photo Credit: WSJ.com 

Heartbeat Press - February 2026 Edition

A Different Kind of Love - A Reminder for Valentine's Day 

    "Love is patient, love is kind, love does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud..." So says a 1 Corinthians passage (13:4-8) that describes the different attributes of love and its longevity for a portion of page that is undoubtedly nearly worn our of every wedding officiant's Bible (a fact that is not hyperbole, as some sources suggest that the verses are used in up to 60% of American ceremonies). While seemingly overdone, this passage's popularity is nonetheless warranted because it paints such a quiet but thorough picture of what Godly love should look like, an example that many couples want to build their burgeoning marriages on. However, this passage isn't just for weddings and newly-minted Mr. and Mrs. Instead, like every Bible verse, it should be understood as an example of Godly action that everyone can adhere to in whatever circumstances they find themselves. In that light, 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 is a powerful precursor to Pro-Life work before, during and especially after birth. 

    Often accused of only being Pro-Birth rather and completely Pro-(entire)Life, the Pro-Life movement has struggled to beat this accusation on a few occasions. Though overflowing with joy, aid, and helping hands when a woman with an unexpected pregnancy arrives on their door step and going all-in when it comes to getting mother and child to their delivery date, many people, even those who have promised their unwavering devotion to life, often forget that birth is only the beginning and that a much stronger underpinning of care is usually needed after baby arrives. 

    As any mother can tell you, pregnancy, labor, and delivery are actually the "easy" parts of becoming a parent because there are experts and supportive cheerleaders there for you throughout the entire experience (Pro-Lifers included). But once your baby is placed snuggly in your arms and brought home for the first time, those supports are left behind and new mothers, in the throes of postpartum recovery (physical, mental, and emotional), are suddenly inundated with their children's numerous needs, the stress of sleepless nights, the overwhelm of well-wishers popping in to meet the little bundles of joy, and the reality that life is changing right before their eyes, while still requiring regular attention (why is the laundry always in need of being done?). Add to this a new mother's fear of making mistakes, a new father's potential inability to help as he manages being a father for the first time amidst his wife's recovery, and the isolation that can creep in when a mother realizes she hasn't left her home in weeks, and it's no wonder that postpartum depression rears its head to affect 1 in 8 mothers, with nearly 70% also experiencing burnout and high anxiety. While mothers are more than capable of rising above these circumstances, can we, as a movement, really claim to be completely Pro-Life if we leave new moms to their stresses after their children are born instead of stepping in to help manage the mess - with the same dedicated hands and hard work that ferried mother and child this far? 

    While not coined under any one name, there is an idea quietly thriving online of young women stepping up to support their postpartum friends with practical care, devoted time, and good old-fashioned elbow grease. Harkening back to older concepts like Regency "Laying-In" and Chinese "Zui Yuezi," the heart of this hands-on postpartum support sees friends showing up a day or two after birth to offer all the help that they can to mom and baby. They bring pre-cooked and restorative meals. They tackle the piles of laundry, baby items, and dust that were growing exponentially. They make trips to the grocery store and run other errands. They hold baby when mom needs a shower or a nap. Anything they can do to make life with a new baby easier, and closer to the fulfilling experience that it is supposed to be, they do without a second thought because these friends have an ability to serve and the heart to put action behind love. 

    More than anything, hands-on postpartum support makes a new mom feel seen. She's been given the responsibility of caring for a child, but in many cases she still feels like a child herself, or at least wholly unprepared for all the unknowns that just entered her life and the tremendous significance of the tiny life in her arms. Having a friend step into that mix and happily offer to take on the everyday while the mom figures our how to take change in stride can lift a tremendous weight, bringing the true and quiet spirit of 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 to life. 

    In a modern world that has shunted mothers to the side, considering pregnancy nothing more than a disease and children merely an unfortunate necessity for population regeneration, what would happen if the Pro-Life movement also acted counter-culturally in this arena? Are we Pro-Life for the whole life? Are we humble enough to acknowledge where we may have failed families and make the necessary changes? Several sentences later, 1 Corinthians 13:13 finishes the thought begun in verses 4-8. It says, "So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love." Penned 1,970 years ago, Paul's words should remind us that we are nothing if we do not love and, in conjunction, that love has a great ability to change minds, hearts, and lives. Therefore, the depths of it should be applied in every circumstance without reservation. 

Sources: Archive.cdc.gov, The Ollie World.com, Got Questions.org, 1 Corinthians 13 (esv)

Photo Credit: Stock Cake.org