by Mike Spencer, Project LifeVoice

In May, I spoke at a large church in Indiana on the sacredness of human life. At one point in my message, I stated, “There are no disposable people. We are each a part of God’s plan to sanctify, or mature, one another. The unborn child diagnosed with Down syndrome and the aging parent whose mind has been ravaged by Alzheimer’s needs us, and we need them. God uses the imperfections and the neediness of others to mature us.”

Immediately after the worship service ended, a smiling young mother cradling an infant approached my wife and me and said, “Hi, my name is Dani, and I want to introduce you to my son. His name is Samuel. He has Down syndrome, and he is perfect.” It was a touching moment, and the warmth and pride with which she introduced us to her son expressed beautifully what I had just spent 35 minutes trying to convey. A Down syndrome diagnosis coupled with the often loud, intimidating voices of “enlightened” abortion activists could not suppress the maternal love of this proud mother. Dani understood what so many in our culture do not, namely that “every good and perfect gift is from above…” (James 1:17). Indeed, her little Samuel is a good and perfect gift!

This story powerfully illustrates the stark difference between the pro-life position and the “pro-choice” position. When pro-lifers gaze upon an ultrasound image of a developing child in utero, we see a fellow image-bearer who should be loved and protected, regardless of whether he or she has an extra chromosome. Conversely, abortion supporters look at that same child and see only “medical waste.” Pro-life political scientist Hadley Arkes sardonically describes these abortion enthusiasts as, “people of large natures, with sensitivities cultivated to the most exacting liberal temper, and so they are prepared to engage their sympathies for all species of hurts suffered by the mass of mankind.” (Arkes, 2022, p. 2) Unfortunately, however, their cultivated sympathies do not extend to the unborn. Although they have what Arkes describes as the “most generous reflexes” toward every politically approved victim group, they think nothing of injecting an unborn baby’s heart with a lethal dose of potassium chloride and calling it “reproductive justice.” They are to be pitied for such a morbidly defective worldview which robs them of the ability to value that which is most valuable.

Friends, contrary to the narrative that has been pressed onto us by pro-abortion politicians and Hollywood elites, we are the inclusive and tolerant ones—not them. We don’t discriminate against the weak and vulnerable or minority groups. Whether the children destroyed by abortion would have lived to become future inventors or future competitors in the Special Olympics is irrelevant. Einstein counts and so does the child with an extra chromosome.

We are the real champions of human worth and human equality. And we’ll keep on fighting to the end because like this young mother, we recognize the intrinsic and inestimable moral worth of every human being, and we consider it one of life’s greatest privileges to “speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves…” (Proverbs 31:8)

____________________________________________________________________________

Source

Hadley Arkes, Natural Rights and the Right to Choose, (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2002), p. 2

by Melissa Heiland, Founder, Beautiful Feet International

The story of Esther is a story of faithfulness and betrayal, of honor and disgrace. It is a real-life Cinderella story, and it speaks loudly to us as pro-life servants. It is a story of a battle of good vs. evil, not unlike the battle we are fighting of life vs. death. There are many virtues in the story of Esther that we must pursue as we fight for life.

Esther experienced deep sorrow early in life. The Word says that she had “neither a father nor a mother.” (Esther 2:7) This serves as an encouragement to those of us who have experienced devasting loss and great sorrow. It reminds us that God’s hand is still upon us and He can and will still use us for great things in His Kingdom.

Esther is a woman who treats others with respect. Throughout the story, we see her treating her adopted father, Mordecai, with great respect. Even when she is queen, she still submits to his will. She shows respect to Hegai, the eunuch, by following his suggestions. She shows great respect for the king. As God’s children, we are to treat others with the respect they deserve as image-bearers. It is one of the ways we honor life.

Esther is humble. When Mordecai uncovers the plot to kill the king, she tells the king and gives credit to her adopted father, not herself. As she continues to obey Mordecai as an adult, she shows humility.

As pro-life leaders, our lives should be characterized by humility.

Esther is a woman of prayer. When faced with a seemingly impossible situation, she fasted and prayed and asked others to do the same. This is an example we need to follow in our personal lives, as well as in ministry.

Esther is brave. She knows she might lose her life as she stands up for what is right, and she is willing to risk her life. Fighting for life is not a job for the faint of heart. The Lord has called us to speak without fear.

Esther is patient. When she goes before the king, she does not rush to make her requests known. She prays and waits for the right time to ask for her people’s lives to be spared. As pro-life leaders, we must be patient, knowing that God will work on our behalf and on behalf of the unborn at just the right time.

Esther is passionate. She begs the king to spare the Jews. She pleads for their lives. We, too, are passionate as we speak for those who cannot speak for themselves. The story of Esther is a story of faithfulness: Esther’s faithfulness and God’s faithfulness. It serves as a reminder and encouragement to us that we must be faithful to God’s call on our lives, and He will be faithful to spare His people – the ones we are advocating for. Just as God spared the Jews because of Esther’s faithfulness, God is sparing the lives of countless unborn children because of the courage and faithfulness of pro-life servants around the world. Esther took great risks to protect the lives of others and we know that our work is not without risk. But, like Esther, we trust our lives to a faithful God, who lovingly guides us.

Esther means “star.” God has called us to shine like stars holding forth the Word of life.

“Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, '“children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.”' Philippians 2:14-16

He has called each of us for such a time as this. What an exciting time to be serving in pro-life ministry!

We have the honor of working with some amazing partner organizations within the pro-life movement. From advocacy to legal aid, to lobbying to research, all of them recognize the value of pregnancy help organizations and do their part in advancing the reach so that no woman ever feels so alone or helpless that she feels abortion is her only option. 

Two organizations that have started initiatives to expand the reach of pregnancy help are Students for Life and SBA list. Through these new initiatives, each organization added a database of pregnancy help organizations in addition to state and local social services to supply women with a comprehensive list of resources when facing an unexpected pregnancy.

Standing With You (Students for Life)

Stand With You helps women find the answers they need to become a successful parent. Women can connect with real people who understand what an unexpected pregnancy feels like, people who know first-hand that peer-to-peer support can be priceless, people who empower women to choose both their child and their dreams.

Her PLAN (SBA List)

Her PLAN (Her Pregnancy and Life Assistance Network) facilitates collaboration between assistance providers and their communities to empower women and families through comprehensive medical, social, and material support. Her PLAN currently operates nationally and in four states: Georgia, Mississippi, Virginia and West Virginia.

In order to truly change the culture, we need a team of like-minded organizations to work together. We are blessed to work with all of you in this service side of the movement. We hope you appreciate these tools that our partner organizations are using in order to reach more women with the life-saving services you provide.

by Mike Spencer, Life Training Institute

Heartbeat is glad to welcome back Mike Spencer from the Life Training Institute to teach his popular Making the Case for Life In-Depth Day at the 2017 Heartbeat International Annual Conference, April 18, 2017 in Chicago. Here's a taste of the sort of approach he takes to sharing both the gospel and the pro-life message in every day life.

On a flight home from a recent speaking engagement, I spoke with Reagan, a man in his late 20’s who sat across the aisle from me. I made conversation by asking a few friendly questions and discovered Reagan married two years ago, did software work for the Air Force, and was heading home from a business trip. He was extremely personable and we small-talked for about 10 minutes before we both opened books and read for the next hour of our flight.

However, 20 minutes before the plane landed Reagan closed his book, so I seized the opportunity to engage him in more conversation by asking another question or two. Eventually, he asked me a question; “What kind of work do you do?” After explaining what I did, Reagan responded, “I lean toward the pro-choice view. Tell me why I should be pro-life.”

What a golden opportunity! I answered, “Well, actually, you shouldn’t be pro-life if the science of embryology is wrong.” This allowed me to focus our discussion around the central question, “What are the preborn?”, and launched us into a meaningful dialogue.

Before long, we had an audience as passengers in the two seats in front of us unashamedly repositioned themselves in their seats in order to listen in. Reagan’s comfort with our exchange, expressed by his many questions, provided ample opportunity for me to make the case for life. As the plane landed, most of the passengers crammed themselves into the aisle to exit and I ended the conversation by thanking Reagan for the enjoyable dialogue.

As we waited, and with our audience still present, Reagan surprised me with yet another direct question: “Thirty years of marriage, eh? What’s your secret?”

I marveled over the gift this conversation was and wondered if those listening in suspected Reagan and me of collusion. I responded, “Reagan, there’s no secret. My wife and I are convinced Jesus Christ is who He claimed to be: God who took on flesh to pay the penalty for our sins. We’ve built our lives on this truth and on His teachings and this has made all the difference in our marriage.”

Reagan kindly thanked me and that ended our discussion. Along with the other passengers, we began to file out of the plane. I felt great emotion and thanked God under my breath for this encounter. I have no idea what lasting impact, if any, my words had on Reagan or our extended audience. But God knows and I trust Him to use them for His purposes.

Contrary to the conventional wisdom of many Christians, pro-life ministry and sharing the Gospel are not competing interests, as my experience with Reagan proved. In fact, doing the first often leads to doing the second. I still have much to learn as an ambassador for Christ, but speaking compassionately and persuasively to the pressing moral issues of our time naturally opens the door to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.

We are not forced to choose between speaking up for the forgotten little ones scheduled to die by abortion and pointing others to the Gospel. Through the power of the Holy Spirit we can do both. Responding to legalized abortion is a Gospel issue that often presents us with a Gospel opportunity.

“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.” – Colossians 4:5

Reprinted with permission from prolifemike.com. Originally published April 17, 2015.

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Monday | October 26, 2015
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SALT LAKE CITY, UT - With over 40 years’ experience in the pro-life movement, Heartbeat International president Peggy Hartshorn, Ph.D., has been selected to chair a plenary panel on the sanctity of life at World Congress of Families IX, meeting Oct. 27-30 in Salt Lake City.

The plenary panel is comprised of five major voices in the pro-life movement, each representing a distinct sphere of influence. An addition to from Hartshorn’s expertise in the pregnancy help community, panelists include LifeSiteNews’ co-founder and editor John-Henry Westen, Americans United for Life president and CEO Charmaine Yoest, Ph.D., Life Action founder Lila Rose, and Dr. Alveda King, Priests for Life’s director of African American outreach and niece of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“This panel represents some of the very best of the life-affirming pro-life movement,” Hartshorn said. “It really is a pleasure to serve alongside such excellent leaders, especially when I reflect on how far our movement has come. We have a solid foundation to continue building upon, and it’s clear our future is bright.”

The upcoming meeting at the World Congress of Families marks the third for Hartshorn, who has spoken at past events in Russia and Malta. Heartbeat International is a sponsor of the meeting, which features thousands of pro-family participants from over 80 countries.

Later in the week, Hartshorn will join a panel chaired by Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary assistant professor of ethics Evan Lenow, addressing the topic, “How the Culture Undermines Life and Family.”

A past recipient of President’s Volunteer Service Award under President George H.W. Bush, the J.C. Penney Golden Rule Award, the Defender of Life Award from Students for Life and the Cardinal John J. O’Connor pro-life award from Legatus International, Hartshorn and her husband, Mike, began housing pregnant women in 1975 and launched Columbus, Ohio-based Pregnancy Decision Health Centers in 1981.

Hartshorn, the first paid executive of Heartbeat International, took over the organization when it had only 250 affiliates back in 1993, and has since grown the network to nearly 2,000 pregnancy help centers, medical clinics, maternity homes and nonprofit adoption agencies.

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Monday | Feb. 23, 2015
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Tweet This: Father of #prolife movement created legacy of life, family, true reproductive healthcare

COLUMBUS, OHIO – Responding to news of the death of Dr. John C. Willke, a key pioneer in the pro-life movement, Heartbeat International President Peggy Hartshorn, Ph.D., has issued the following statement:

“We are all saddened to hear of the loss of Dr. Jack Willke, who many call the father of the pro-life movement,” Hartshorn said. “When I became president of Heartbeat International in 1993, we became colleagues as leaders of national and international organizations, but before that, he was a dear friend and a mentor to me.”

[Click here to see video of Heartbeat International President Peggy Hartshorn's comments on Dr. Willke's passing.]

Willke, 89, died Friday, Feb. 21, at his home, according to a press release from Life Issues Institute, an organization he and his late wife, Barbara, founded in 1991.

The Willke family’s work in the pro-life arena began in the 1960s, when the couple started producing and distributing slides and brochures detailing the facts about fetal development and abortion procedures. Dr. Willke served two terms (1980-83, 1984-91) as president of the National Right to Life Committee.

His 1985 book, “Abortion Questions & Answers: Love Them Both,” helped shape the national pro-life movement’s dialogue to what Heartbeat International has called a “woman-centered approach.” Heartbeat International honored Dr. Willke with its “Servant Leader Award” in 2003.

“We owe so much to those early medical leaders, who knew that true healthcare for women involved respect not only for the woman, but her unborn child. What a tremendous example they have been—and are—as we continue to carry on their legacy.”

Hartshorn, whose career in the pro-life field began as president of the Columbus, Ohio, chapter of Right to Life, worked closely with Dr. and Mrs. Willke when both were involved with the organization. It was Willke’s brochure and slides, “Life or Death” that served as Hartshorn’s initial introduction into pro-life work.

Hartshorn appeared in “Dr. Willke, A Pro-Life Legacy to Last a Lifetime,” a documentary on Dr. Willke’s life and legacy produced by Life Issues Institutes in Jan., 2015.

“I remember so many things about Dr. Willke, and one of those things is the example of family that he embodied. He and his late wife, Barbara, were together in this movement, and I believe that is such an important thing as we commit ourselves long-term to stand for life and a culture of life. We need the help and support of families in this movement.”

About Heartbeat International
Heartbeat International is the first network of pro-life pregnancy help organizations founded in the U.S. (1971), and now the largest and most expansive network in the world. With nearly 2,000 affiliated pregnancy help locations—including pregnancy help medical clinics (with ultrasound), resource centers, maternity homes, and adoption agencies—Heartbeat serves on all six inhabited continents to provide alternatives to abortion. For more information, see www.HeartbeatInternational.org.

"Real women are being silenced and gagged in the process."

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Thursday | December 18, 2014
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COLUMBUS, OH – An article first posted Dec. 5 on Vocativ.com before it was picked up at Slate.com and The Daily Mail, among others, calls into question both the demand and medical research behind a treatment designed to reverse the effects of Mifepristone, developed by Dr. George Delgado, M.D., F.A.A.F.P.

Dr. Delgado, who sits on Heartbeat International's Medical Advisory Board, is medical director of Culture of Life Family Health Care and founder of AbortionPillReversal.com, which has built a network of 226 pro-life OB-GYNs who are prepared to provide an early dose of supplemental progesterone to block the effects of Mifepristone—the first of two pills administered in the RU-486 regimen.

"We are grateful for Dr. Delgado's work," Heartbeat International President Peggy Hartshorn, Ph.D., said. "It is a shame to see his good work besmirched by agenda-driven writers, determined to grow the business of abortion.

"The tragic thing is that real women who have either been helped by this treatment or wish that they had been, are being silenced and gagged in the process," Hartshorn said. "Pregnancy help organizations like Dr. Delgado's offer each and every woman the true compassion, support, and choice she deserves."

The articles—released over two years after Heartbeat International reported the site's launch and first distributed a webinar on the procedure through Heartbeat Academy—cite the small sample size of women included in an initial peer-reviewed 2012 report published by Dr. Delgado.

Dr. Delgado's team is currently reviewing its cases from the time of the initial report—which included 28 contacts and four births following ingestion of Mifepristone from May to December 2012.

Neither Dr. Delgado nor his team have been contacted by reporters linked to the recent articles.

by Lynn Smith RN, National Association of Pro-Life Nurses Member,
and Marianne Linane RN, MS, MA, National Association of Pro-Life Nurses Executive Director

In 1995, during the U.S. Senate debate on the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act, Sen. Barbara Boxer (D. California) read into the record a letter from Geri Marrullo, then-executive director of the American Nurses Association, in opposition to the proposed ban on Partial-Birth Abortion.

The ANA claimed to be "the only full-time professional organization representing the nation's 2.2 million registered nurses."

While investigating the ANA's exclusive claim to represent the nation's RNs to the U.S. Senate, it was discovered that though there were 2.2 million RNs at the time, and the ANA is exclusively RNs, only 190,000 nurses were actually members; only 9% of U.S. nurses.

In 2011, there were 3.1 million nurses, and only 180,000 nurses were members, or about 6%.

RN Magazine, the mainstream nursing journal, did a survey in 1999, showing that nearly 2/3 of nurses surveyed thought that partial-birth abortion should be prohibited by law. [Marissa Ventura RN, Aug. 16, 2002, "Ethics on the Job: Where Nurses Stand on Abortion."]

In response to the ANA's position against a ban, a unique and separate professional nurses organization, the National Association of Pro-Life Nurses stepped forward and, in 2000, submitted a Friend of the Court brief in Stenberg v. Carhart, supporting a ban on partial birth abortion. In 2003, NAPN nurses gathered nurses' signatures on a national petition, which was submitted to the U.S. Congress, also to ban the procedure.

All nurses can appreciate the gains that the ANA has accomplished in making nursing more professional and patient care more effective. This is what we want and expect from a full-time professional association.

If the ANA was only neutral on bioethical issues, we would have cause for concern, but the clearly aggressive anti-life political lobbying by the ANA, is a disservice to nurses of conscience, and a misrepresentation to the public, to our courts, to our elected officials, and even to other nurses.

NAPN

The National Association of Pro-Life Nurses offers nurses of conscience a choice for affiliation with a professional organization that is a voice affirming the gift of life.

Chartered since 1978, The National Association of Pro-Life Nurses is a not-for-profit organization uniting nurses who are "dedicated to promoting respect for every human life from conception to natural death, and to affirming that the destruction of that life, for whatever reason and by whatever means, does not constitute good nursing practice."

It's a community of like-minded nurses who can offer advice and encouragement on problems that nurses encounter.

As a professional organization, NAPN works to:

• establish and protect the ethical values of the nursing profession.
• secure protection of the rights of nurses and paramedical personnel, who refuse to participate in procedures that are counter to the beliefs held in the NAPN mission statement.
• maintain a legal defense fund for use in representing nurses in such disputes.
• participate in the legislative process to promote life-affirming legislation.

The NAPN legal defense fund also provides the resources needed to submit Friend of the Court briefs in cases such as those heard by the United States Supreme Court. Several of these briefs have been filed, some which are on the opposite side of the argument from the American Nurses Association's briefs, such as Stenberg v. Carhart and the more recent decision, Hobby Lobby v. Sebelius.

Education

NAPN provides education for those facing difficult choices involving life-taking decisions and promotion of positive alternative choices.

Members are kept informed on current issues through Pulse Line, the quarterly newsletter, and links to relevant medical journal articles at the website: NursesForLife.org.

A $1,000 scholarship is awarded annually to a nursing student whose application best meets the criteria established. It is decided by the scholarship committee.

Continuing education is provided at its general meetings, in conjunction with the annual National Right to Life Committee Convention and speakers are provided for local nursing events on life topics.

NAPN has a strong position statement supporting informed consent for human research subjects.

Two outstanding pro-life nurses who have been members are Brenda Pratt Shafer, the nurse who exposed the practices at Martin Haskell's abortion clinic, because she was an eyewitness to partial-birth abortions, and Jill Stanek, who exposed the practice of abandoning babies surviving late-term abortions, left to die, alone and uncomforted, in the dirty utility room of the hospital where she worked.

Both Brenda and Jill have testified before the U.S. Congress and both were instrumental in having those practices outlawed, to the extent that Congress could act.

For more information visit NursesForLife.org Consider becoming a member of the National Association of Pro-Life Nurses, and joining your voice with the professional organization that can best represent your life affirming values to other nurses, to the public, to our courts and to our elected representatives.

By Jennifer Minor, Editor/Writer

For the last 42 years, October has been recognized as Respect Life Month, focusing on issues of life and the dignity of the human person, with a special emphasis each year. It's also time set aside to spread stories about the good that comes from adoption and the healing that can follow an abortion.

For us, every month is the month we witness, experience, and encounter these stories, so why even bother with Respect Life Month?

It's all about seasons. The seasons set aside in church life to celebrate such events as Easter and Christmas help fuel our appreciation and awareness about truths that should always be on our hearts and minds. We recognize the truth of Jesus rising from the dead every day, but that doesn't keep us from celebrating Easter. In the same way, we celebrate Respect Life Month to remind ourselves and others of the beauty and wonder of life from conception to natural death.

Reflect on this year's theme for a moment. "Each of us is a masterpiece of God's creation." When you go to an art museum and see a painting or sculpture worked by a master artist, what do you do?

Personally, I'm stopped in my tracks, breathlessly gazing on the beauty and wonder of the masterpiece. Between van Gogh's Starry Night, da Vinci's Mona Lisa, Rodin's The Thinker, and Rembrandt's The Return of the Prodigal Son - only a few of the recognized masterpieces of Western art - I could spend days in reflection and admiration.

And yet, these master artists are mere shadows and reflections of the Master Artist, whose masterpieces we so easily pass by without a second glance. God gives each of His masterpieces unique gifts of life, personality, and will. God's art is not stagnant or unthinking. Every person - each of us - is one of God's masterpieces.

When we take the time to gaze at His masterpieces, we can't help but notice the beauty and wonder of each man and woman, adult and child, pregnant mother and unborn baby.

This is the month to remind ourselves, our staff, our volunteers, our clients and our communities that each of us is a masterpiece. It's a time to remember that every life is worth celebrating, honoring, and cherishing as a precious and irreplaceable creation by the Designer and Maker of the universe.

Whether you have celebrated October as Respect Life Month with fundraising, awareness campaigns, or nothing at all, it's not too late to remind someone that they are a masterpiece. Those we serve certainly need this reminder, but so do our staff, volunteers, and everyone we see day by day.

Speaking of reminders, here is one for you: You are a masterpiece created by God, the Master Artist. Even if no one else does, He gazes on you with wonder, both in this season and in every season.

We all know we should be voting, but is it really that important? After all, the Dobbs decision already overturned Roe, and we’re not even picking the president this year. 

The United States has a surprisingly low turnout of voters, hovering between 55 and 60 percent in any given election. Why can’t we find it in ourselves to get out there and vote our values? Could it be that we believe one or more of these myths?

Myth #1: Midterm elections don’t matter anyway.

There’s a lot of hype for presidential elections, but for some reason, midterm elections don’t seem to matter as much. Nothing could be further from the truth. As powerful as the Presidential office is, he can—ideally—do almost nothing without the support of the Senate and the House.  Do you know who is running for the Senate or House positions open in your state and district? What about the Gubernatorial or Mayoral races? These matter!

Myth #2: There are no important races this year.

With all 435 voting seats in the House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 Senate seats up for a vote, no one can deny the importance of this year’s races. In addition, 39 states or territories are electing governors, and many U.S. cities are electing mayors. Not to mention all the local races and ballot initiatives that could have major impact on the abortion issue. Do you know who’s running in your district? These are the people who make the decisions that keep our local, state, and national governments running. We need to make sure they are the people who are going to truly care for the people—both in the womb and out of the womb.

Myth #3: My vote doesn’t make a difference.

We’ve heard this one before. Every vote matters. Every single vote matters. Every life changes the world in an unrepeatable and irreplaceable way. And so does every vote. If we stay home on Election Day, our pro-life candidates will have to stay home too! What we do and don’t do makes a difference, so let’s make it a positive one.

Myth #4: I can’t talk about political issues or encourage others to vote.

Untrue! While certain regulations may apply to what your pregnancy help organization can do, you are well within your rights as an individual citizen to encourage those within your sphere of influence to head to the polls. There is everything to gain, and nothing to lose when we encourage our staff, volunteers, partner churches and community supporters to vote their values.

Don’t believe these myths this season—vote your values instead. Generations yet to be born are counting on us!

Learn more or share how voting your values matters with Five Reasons to Vote Pro-Life this November.

by Jennifer Minor, Editor/Writer