Posts by Francine & Byron Pirola
Habit Makers, Habit Breakers
Lately, we’ve slipped into a not-so-good habit. After dinner, and after all the normal stuff is done, we collapse onto the couch in front of the TV. We settle into our various devices – answering emails, prepping for meetings the next day or updating our SmartLoving social media accounts. Before we know it, a couple…
Read MorePandemic Weddings – Keeping our Eye on What Matters
For those who had a wedding planned this year, the disruption imposed by Covid19 has created all sorts of complications, frustration and additional expense. Last week, a young man from New Zealand called us. His fiancé lives in Canada and neither country will permit the other to enter for a wedding. Fortunately, they discovered that they could meet in France, get married there, and…
Read MoreSex – more than just an activity
Almost everything around us – movies, magazines, social media, even our friends and relatives – approach sex as something we ‘do’. In other words, sex is seen primarily as an activity. There are serious implications for this mindset. If sex is merely something we ‘do’, it can be reduced to an action we do to…
Read MoreThe Science of Falling in Love
Falling in love is a common experience and a wonderful one. It sweeps us up in a euphoric passion that dominates our thoughts day and night. But is there more to it than simple emotions? Romantic love, and its impact on us, has been the subject of study for millennia. Philosophers from ancient times have mused on it, theologians have divined it and poets have waxed…
Read MoreRomantic Love: Feeling or Choice?
From Hollywood to Cleo, the cultural representations of Romantic Love are clear: it’s a spontaneous feeling of attraction and affection for another. And like all feelings, we don’t choose it: it’s something that just happens to us. We spontaneously ‘fall’ into love and we are powerless to prevent it. To be sure when it strikes,…
Read MoreCouples need a village too
It takes a village The saying: “It takes a village to raise a child”, resonates deeply with us. No parent, no matter how attentive, capable and loving, can adequately raise a child on his or her own. Two parents can do better, but they will still fall short. We’ve seen this in our own family. Our children need…
Read MoreWhy Marry in the Catholic Church?
The best reason to marry in the Catholic Church is because you believe that Jesus Christ is God’s love revealed in human flesh; and that Christ is embodied in the gathering of his followers – the Church.
Read MorePorn free, not free porn
The destructive ubiquitousness of porn: It is not a pleasant topic but we need to get serious about addressing the negative impact of pornography on our society and our relationships. When the western world went into lockdown, one of the biggest porn providers made global headlines when it offered free porn for a month. When…
Read MoreFacing the ‘Now what?’ Moments
Our online Mass experience last Sunday took us somewhere a little different. Attending virtual Mass with Fr Rob Galea based in Bendigo and musician Matt Maher in Tennessee gave us a global encounter of the world-wide church. Celebrating the Assumption, Fr Rob noted how the apostles’ journey with Christ was a series of ‘now what?’…
Read MoreProjects for Lockdown Couples
A few months ago, most couples would have dismissed the idea of a couple project as simply a cute idea for which there was no real need. With Netflix over-exposure and tiring of social media and gaming sessions, couple projects are back on the menu of couple entertainment. Couple Projects make a come back A…
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