Posts by Francine & Byron Pirola
Sex: for pleasure or life-giving love?
From the so-called ‘articles’ in Playboy to public billboards, the social discussion on sex and its function is ever more obvious. The cultural view of sex is that it’s an activity. We talk about ‘doing it’ and ‘we did it’; an activity primarily done or performed. Moreover, the activity of sex is very clearly categorised…
Read MoreVideo: The Manslater
Brilliant! What man wouldn’t want this?!
Read MoreMovie Marriages
Originally posted in the Catholic Leader, March 14, 2014 Can movie marriages help real life couples with their relationships? A recent study in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology has unwittingly unearthed some very good news for couples.The study was aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of two popular skill-based marriage programs for newlyweds: CARE…
Read MoreIntentional Intercourse
All natural fertility methods require the couple to abstain from sexual intercourse during the time of combined fertility if they wish to avoid pregnancy.
Read MoreA Marriage-Based Lenten Plan
3 Ways to do Lent for your marriage Transcript 3 WAYS TO DO LENT A MARRIAGE-BASED LENTEN PLAN Lent has begun and it’s the perfect time to establish healthy new habits that will support our marriage and deepen our spiritual life. Here are three quick ways to live lent well with a marriage focus.…
Read MoreCouple Projects
Couple Projects might seem indulgent and merely cute but perhaps they serve a deeper purpose. Counselors and educators often talk about the importance of fun in a marriage. For those of us raising families, often couple fun is one of the first casualties in the busy family schedule. A Couple Project is one way to…
Read MoreVideo: The Sexy Lie
“Caroline Heldman, the chair of the Politics department at Occidental College, explains to her audience what sexual objectification is and why girls are taught that it can be empowering when the reality is far from that. This video is meant for both men and women. We all need to be more informed in order for…
Read MoreMarrying Young
Almost everyone has an opinion about the optimum age to marry but what does the data tell us? We had an interesting call recently from a priest who had just interviewed an engaged couple. He was looking for some marriage preparation as the couple were ‘very young’. As he went on, it became apparent that…
Read MoreVideo: Movies & Manhood
TED talk: When Colin Stokes’ 3-year-old son caught a glimpse of Star Wars, he was instantly obsessed. But what messages did he absorb from the sci-fi classic? Stokes asks for more movies that send positive messages to boys: that cooperation is heroic, and respecting women is as manly as defeating the villain. (Filmed at TEDxBeaconStreet.)…
Read MoreGrowing in Love
The popularity of St Valentine’s Day grew out of the joy of celebrating romantic married love. The celebration also encourages us to renew and develop that love. God is love and this year we focus on one particular aspect of deepening the love of a couple, whether they are engaged or married – that is,…
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