Posts by Francine & Byron Pirola
Cohabitation
Making Sense of Cohabitation Catholic marriage is a freely given, total, unconditional commitment, faithful and open to children. The wedding vows express this explicit commitment in words. What many don’t appreciate is that the words of the vows are expressed and renewed through the body language of sexual intercourse. Every time a couple make love,…
Read MoreBody Language
Pope John Paul II called marital sex a sacred body language, an act that communicated the total self-giving of husband to wife and wife to husband. This sacred meaning of sexual intercourse is built into the act itself and cannot be simply discarded or altered. The message of sex: “I give myself to you, freely,…
Read MoreAutopsy of an Argument
How do you recover from the carnage of an argument? Here’s a game plan to help you heal the rift and learn from the experience! 1. Stop: Allow yourselves time to cool off. Separate and practice some self-soothing techniques such as deep breathing, taking a walk, having a cup of tea, meditating, consciously relaxing each part…
Read MoreAnatomy of an Argument
Have you ever found that you seem to be having the same argument over and over? Sometimes this may be because you didn’t resolve the issue in the previous argument, and so inevitably, it comes up again. But sometimes, there is a déjà vu sense when the issue is new – that comes about because…
Read MoreA Vision for Life & Love
In our society there is a strong culture of self-entitlement when it comes to sex. Society tells us that sex is about our individual personal fulfillment and that sexual satisfaction is our right….
Read MoreThe Ikea Assembly Meltdown
Building your own furniture… it’s an unstated test of true manhood. Guys gravitate to the challenge, particularly when it’s a guaranteed shoo-in. Meet the Ikea* Challenge… it’s supposed to be easy right? Any idiot can assemble an Ikea item. That’s the first good reason why any self-respecting guy isn’t going to use the instructions. The…
Read MoreThe Ikea Carpark Battle
We know the scenario: a frazzled couple, stroppy kids and a car that just isn’t big enough to fit all the stuff they’ve just bought in store. Over-tired and over-sugared children seem destined to test the tolerance of their parents while an impatient driver waits conspicuously for their parking spot adding pressure to the situation.…
Read MoreWhy Couples Fight in Ikea
“Why do couples fight in Ikea?” friends asked us. They had made a long-planned store visit on the weekend and almost every couple they encountered, including themselves, were stressed, tense and exchanging angry words. What starts out as a highly anticipated (often romantic) outing soon derails and the ‘loving feelings’ flee the scene at a…
Read MoreEnhancing Sexual Communion
Looking for ways to deepen your connection and enhance your sexual communion? Try these ideas: 1. Prayer for passionate other-centredness. It can seem like a strange thing for which to pray, but the truth is, God is deeply invested in our sexual intimacy and wants it to be an experience of deep communion. We can…
Read MoreNatural Method Effectiveness
Posts in this series Natural Fertility methods: here Avoiding Pregnancy – Confidently: here Achieving Pregnancy – Naturally: here Intentional Intercourse: here A Vision for Life and Love: here The Language of Love: here Natural Method Effectiveness: here Learning Natural Fertility – Links: here Buy the Series here
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