Heartbeat Press - August 2026 Edition

Lasting Values - Tools for Building Up the Next Generation of Pro-Lifers

    Call me old fashioned or behind the times but I am (and will always be) an enthusiastic proponent of preserving children's innocence for as long as possible. Too often nowadays children are denied the opportunity to "just be kids" during their fleeting childhood and are instead inundated with messaging that encourages them to grow up, act years beyond their actual age, or introduces them to mature themes long before they are actually ready for that exposure. In fact, I would argue that there are no true kids anymore. Instead we have generations of up-and-coming mini adults who haven't been afforded the luxury of being naive yet genuine. Again, call me an old-fogey, but I think this is a great loss and one that should be corrected if only to grant kids the ability to rediscover simplicity again. To that end (though some Pro-Lifers may argue the point), children shouldn't be exposed to the brutality of abortion until they are mature enough to face it intentionally. Just as parents should protect their children from death by abortion they should also shield their children from confronting the practice at a young age, as that responsibility falls to the adults who can actively combat it. However, there is a difference between protection and the building up of values (the latter of which can be presented in age appropriate terms).

    Kids don't need to watch Unplanned at seven-years-old. Images of aborted babies is something they should not have to comprehend at eleven. And books like The Walls Are Talking and Subverted are reads that are as inappropriate as having a child swallow Crime and Punishment "because they have to understand its themes eventually." In short, there is a proper age for everything and childhood is not the time to tackle the issue of abortion. The correct time will arrive eventually and when it does patience and wisdom should be applied, but only then. However, there are plenty of resources that exist to develop a care for life (as a whole) which is a suitable lesson for children and one that can inform deeper belief systems when the time is right. 

Storks: Adoption, Friendship, Adventure - in this vibrant animated comedy that's perfect for kids of all ages, a hapless orphan and an anxious stork team up the deliver an accidental baby to a little boy who urgently wants a sibling. Though storks don't deliver babies anymore and the journey is fraught with peril (namely scheming bosses, strangely collaborative wolves, and a crazy stork with a connection to Orphan Tulip) as time passes the unlikely due find themselves deeply devoted to their charge and their mission of giving her a family. They might not be mailmen in the traditional sense but their package is precious and well worth the snow, rain, heat, and gloom they must go through to deliver her. Exploring themes of belonging and found family, Storks is an adorable and deeply touching promotion of Pro-Life adjacent values. It's easy for kids to understand and is a wonderful option for a family movie night - alla family values. 

When You Were Inside Mommy and Before Your Birthday: Science, Love, Understanding - often produced to explain a new sibling to young children these two picture books are more profound than they outwardly seem. Through their stunning illustrations and simple yet accurate words both books follow a baby's growth from conception to birth while easily explaining the process for little ears. Before Your Birthday is particularly inspiring as it credits the entire birth process to God early on and depicts several different delivery techniques (hospital, C-section, and homebirth), enabling parents to personalize their child's understanding of pregnancy, delivery, and birth. Heartbeat Press also highly recommends Pro-Life Kids! and My Birthday, Jesus' Birthday as stellar Pro-Life kids books and wholeheartedly promotes teaching kids how life begins and why it should be respected. 

Pregnant Mother Anatomy Puzzle: Education, Art, Reverence - offered by companies like Genius Games, beautifully crafted and reverent toys like this act as natural teaching tools and early science education for littles. Getting to put together a depiction of the delicately interwoven connection between mother and child exposes kids to just how unique and powerful that link is and can also give them a reference point that will quickly come to mind when interacting with pregnant women and their children, promoting immediate insight. 

Pregnancy Resource Center Clothing Collection: Hard Work, Empathy, Accomplishment - perfectly timed as the weather gets colder this kid friendly activity acts as an easy contribution to Pro-Life work. Round up those items that your kids don't wear anymore, search them for fixable stains and rips, drop them off at your local pregnancy resource center, and impress upon your kids the importance of paying good fortune forward. There is always a need for donations and the entire experience is a great lesson. No hands are too little to help, every action is worthwhile, and sharing can be fun. 

    Kids hold great potential, especially when it is promoted well and early, and are far more preceptive of right and wrong than most adults. Nurturing an early respect for life should be a non-negotiable part of the Pro-Life movement as doing so quite literally builds the future of the movement and cultivates a much needed reverence for life as a whole. 

Photo Credit: Deposit Photos.com

Frogs

Frogs in the evening,

Mid August, cool skies,

As thunder rolls over the trees.

Yellow street lamps,

And a far away car,

Summer's entirety draws to a close.

Photo Credit: Minimoss on Pinterest

The Bride

Born of fire, pride, and lust,

This woman comes to live.

Upon the earth that buried her,

By one man and creature saved.

Dusty dark and learning anew,

The fluttery feeling of a heart.

She looks upon the ruin of opulence,

And screams for primal fear.

A jolt, a lurch inhuman gate,

A child learning to walk.

And yet also too quickly thrust,

Into the arms of a knight with killer hands. 

Photo Credit: Pinterest - Machuca

Rush

Fallowing gold,

Leaves shiver upon the bow,

As Autumn approaches in a silent rush.

August River

Fog rolling in on a mid August river,

With herons and gulls floating low overhead.

A hazed orange sun hangs suspended in a slow inevitable drop,

And drips upon the water in a golden tear.

A breath, a whisper, the future, forever.

This moment is all and none. 

The Road

Dusty road and sun,

Stretch out for miles before us.

Brand new rings for show,

On fingers too young.

But life calls and hope persists.

Dumb young love sails on. 

Photo Credit: Bo Bartlett

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

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

Heartbeat Press - December 2025 Edition

A Christmas Birth - The Extraordinary Story of Unextraordinary People 

    For the past two years, Heartbeat Press' December edition has centered around the Christmas Story and the amazing Pro-Life message it holds - for mothers, fathers, and the greater population. We've discussed the example of Mary (as a profound example of what God-given peace looks like in the face of unwelcome surprises) and we've delved into the mind of Joseph (the reluctant father-turned-defender of a child who wasn't his, proving that love doesn't begin with blood). In both newsletters, we pointed out that the Christmas Story is, above all else, a tale of hope and joy and one that should be a yearly reminder that unexpected babies, no matter their circumstances, are worthy of life and love. But in this, our third exploration of the most Pro-Life holiday, Heartbeat Press wants to highlight another point, one that had little to no page space in previous years but that is still vitally important to remember. Namely, that a key reason that the Christmas Story is so spectacular and still inspires unrequited kindness to this day is the fact that Mary and Joseph were completely ordinary people - unimportant by their own rights but made capable of doing a great thing through the Lord. 

    Centuries removed from the time and place and offset by the holiday bacchanal that often bathes the nativity family in holy light sporting golden halos, most people tend to forget that Mary and Joseph were two very average people who, prior to the birth of Jesus, were not remarkable for their day, had no plans of grandeur, and were not expected to rise beyond the expectations of "success" that 4 B.C. Israel had for them. Compounding this (at the time of the Christmas Story), they were refugees and a disgraced couple (pregnant out of wedlock/accepting of a ruined woman) at whom no one cared to look twice. They arrived in Bethlehem ragged and dirty. Joseph was in the throes of panic trying to find a place for his wife to stay in an unwelcoming city. Mary was suffering through all the pains of labor and the anxiety of the uncertain. They were anything but the pristine picture of holy fortitude that we think of today. 

    And yet, even in their terrible situation, God was with Mary and Joseph. Not only watching over them from above but present in their very midst (in Mary's womb), feeling every shaky breath, rapid heartbeat, and falling tear, and glowing with pride for the couple He had chosen to be His parents on earth because they were trusting in Him, doing everything they could to bring their baby into the world safe, warm, and loved, despite their circumstances. Through dirt and sweat and blood, Mary and Joseph held onto each other. Everything was uncertain except God's goodness and their willingness to lean on that enabled this insignificant couple from nowhere to begin the most profound story of love every written. They didn't know it at the time, but their pain had a great purpose that was made far more beautiful by the emptiness (rather than polished holiday splendor) that they brought to it. 

    While missing the virginal conception aspect, writing this piece showed me that the story of Mary and Joseph (the Christmas Story) is not dissimilar to the condition of many couples that walk through the doors of pregnancy resource centers every single day. Just like Mary, the mothers may feel overwhelmed or afraid. Just like Joseph, the fathers may be lost for their next steps or questioning what they can possibly do. It the throes of "the worst moment of their lives," these couples are in emotional turmoil, they may be missing even the most basic necessities, and they feel utterly alone and unseen. They are looking for a lifeline of any sort...which the volunteers at pregnancy resource centers are uniquely placed to offer wholeheartedly. 

    This holiday season, please remember the ministry in which you have been placed and the God-given worth of  every person who walks through your doors. Despite their appearance, situation, similarity to you (of not), they are God's children, and deeply loved ones at that. They are utterly deserving of love and support, as much as you can offer, given in genuine care. They're no different than the couple we now revere as the parents of Christ, so why do "unknowns" deserve any less attention?

    At the same time, the interaction that you can have with these couples is a beautiful opportunity that God has asked you to take up. In ministering to the person visiting a pregnancy resource center, perhaps God has called upon you to display those other qualities from Mary and Joseph that Heartbeat Press has discussed in previous years. Perhaps you are meant to be that person's anchoring peace in the storm of their circumstances. Perhaps you are meant to be a strong arm to cling to. Maybe God has placed this person in your path to show you a picture of yourself in His eyes and the overwhelming, all-encompassing love that spills out as a result. Mary and Joseph were tow unextraordinary people, but God still allowed them to do an extraordinary thing. "May that be truly said of us...," that we followed God's lead when He calls us in every circumstance. One never knows what little thing will change the world, for even just one person. 

Resources: The Nativity Story, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (1983) 

Photo Credit: Pinterest