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

Heartbeat Press - January 2026 Edition

 

Call the Midwife - Steady Hands in the Midst of the Pain and Beauty of Birth 

    Christmas specials are a hallmark (pun intended) of the holiday season and come from many places. Americans fondly remember the puppet-starring Rankin Bass TV movies that graced their screens from the 1960s-80s; Japan (famous for its anime) often includes at least one Christmas/New Year's themed episode in applicable series; and a wealth of ongoing series from England often build major plot developments around their prearranged Christmas specials. In fact, England may warrant some type of award for how much effort it puts into promoting Christmas via its established series and characters. Dedicated holiday episodes are so common that every well-known series not only has them every year, but they are also allowed extra runtime and take up the majority of TV programming until January. Perhaps there's something innately comforting or endearing about seeing Downton Abby characters trim a tree or about following Dr. Who as he works through a Christmas-Carolesque adventure. Whatever the case, England loves Christmas and so do its fictional characters. 

    One British series that has always adhered to this standard is the BBC's Call the Midwife. Running from 2012 to the present day, every one of the show's fourteen seasons has had a Christmas special that joyously features crisp snow, shiny gifts, soft vintage Christmas lights on a proud spruce, and a predictable but nonetheless heartwarming holiday message of hope, love, and togetherness. But beyond Christmas, this series is quietly remarkable and carries a profound Pro-Life message with many different facets. 

    Based on a book of the same name and set in a 1950s East End London that is still trying to pull itself back together after World War II, the series follows a group of midwives and nuns who devote their time to the people of Poplar, specifically the many expectant mothers who continue having children even amidst post-war revitalization efforts. The nurses, including Helen George's Trixie, Charlotte Richie's Barbara, and Judy Parfitt's Sister Monica Joan, Encounter everything from standard births, to undiagnosed triplets (delivered in the middle of a blackout), to tragedies worsened by patient interpersonal problems, all while coping with their own life circumstances. And yet, throughout every episode, each character reminds ever-dedicated to her profession and what it means to be a midwife. The depth of this has been demonstrated in multiple episodes, particularly one where nurses Trixie and Crane leap in to deliver a baby in squalid conditions without a second thought and another where the newly-minted Sister Frances must overcome her fear of working alone to deliver a compound-presenting baby. 

    Extremely Pro-Life from the get-go as a series that highlights the dignity of babies and the strength of their mothers, Call the Midwife refines that leaning in ways that go beyond a basic appreciation for life. It demonstrates the intense beauty of women supporting women, not through trite "My Body My Choice" arguments but, rather, via encouragement of ability, willingness to endure pain and fear for a child's sake, and the characters acting as strong arms for the mothers to cling to in the most intense and defining moments of their lives. In that respect, the birth scenes (which the series portrays as realistically as possible) aren't pretty, but they are undeniably beautiful. Blood and sweat predate overwhelming joy and Call the Midwife's characters are there to usher in every moment of that passage. 

    Call the Midwife also highlights its Pro-Life heartbeat in other ways besides depictions of pregnancy and birth. A series of episodes sees the midwives aiding the family of a little girl born with underdeveloped arms as a result of thalidomide. As the show's seasons progress into the 1960s, fathers are routinely brought into the drama of birth and asked to support their wives on a level that goes deeper than ever before. And Reggie, a recurring character after season six, has Down Syndrome but never lets it hold him back. In fact, Daniel Laurie's character brings so much joy to the series that characters and audiences alike are quickly infected with his upbeat attitude. All these plot points demonstrate that life is beautiful in all circumstances, a sentiment the show heartily and personally believes. Amazingly, Call the Midwife has also addressed the issue of abortion in a surprisingly realistic and somber way. While sometimes painted as a tragedy that "had to happen," the main characters are always aghast when it occurs and mourn the undeserved death rather than agreeing with the "necessity" of the act. In a time when pregnancy resource centers didn't exist, Call the Midwife's characters are beginning to ask themselves if something of the like should be available for unplanned pregnancies. 

    Call the Midwife is a show about pregnancy, birth, and the servant hands of those who minister to mothers and babies alike. But, besides that, it is also a beautiful picture of just how vital love and support are at every stage and circumstance of life. It gives a healthy demonstration of what going all-in to help others can look like and, more importantly, points out that even a little effort (backed up by gritted determination) can make a world of difference. In times of crisis (or even simple shakiness), steady hands are often needed; those who have them are the makers of miracles, big or small. 

Photo Credit: PBS.org

Still Snow

Still, utterly still

A moment held in time, mute

Broken by a sigh

Photo Credit: Pinterest - Maelys Chay's Cosy Cabin in Snow

A Chinese Restaurant

A Chinese restaurant

On Christmas Eve - warmth hangs still

Sustaining a world. 

Photo Credit: Pinterest - Inside Archive