Sometime last year I tuned in, on a lark, to watch one episode of the UP (Uplifting Television Channel) series Bringing Up Bates.
And that’s all it took. One episode and I was hooked.
The Bates are an old-time, Bible belt, Baptist church attending, loving Kentucky family who happen to have 19 kids. Parents Gil and Kelly Jo Bates introduce the clan and its raison d’être: “We just decided to let the Lord decide how many kids we could have.”
The Bates’ represent the polar opposite of the hard-boiled, feminist left who sneer at those “breeders” who would have more than one child. They also represent a refreshing, inspiring alternative to those abhorrent and wicked Planned Parenthood doctors and proponents who would rather murder the unborn and sell their body parts.
Children are precious, a gift from the Lord, created by God. Those who protect and affirm life are doing God’s work. Those who would take the life of these innocent babies are doing the work of the enemy. Period.
The most recent episode of Bringing Up Bates centered on Erin Bates Paine and her husband Chad and the birth of their baby boy Carson. Chad and Erin had had a few miscarriages since they were married in 2013, and this was a difficult pregnancy.
A blood-clotting disorder required Chad to administer shots daily in Erin’s belly. Painful stuff. And from day to day, week to week, there were no guarantees that Carson would make it to term and be born whole and healthy.
Thus, this episode with incredibly painful and fast labor (Erin actually suffered a placental abruption, not normal labor) was touching from start to finish. God bless Erin and Chad for sharing this birth with all of us (of course the filming allows for modesty).
At a time when gruesome videos revealing the heinous nature and nefarious activities of Planned Parenthood are daily headlines, the birth of Baby Carson Paine is a bright and shining light of goodness. Don’t worry about tears…just watch this clip and search out the full episode on demand.
May God richly bless the entire big, boisterous Bates family. And may God especially bless Erin, Chad, and their beautiful little baby Carson.
Watching the video of Carson’s birth and the accompanying joy he brings…it is the perfect antidote for the noxious evil surrounding Planned Parenthood.
The apostle Paul admonishes: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
The birth of Carson, bookmarked by prayers, is noble and pure and lovely, and feeds my soul.
