Posts by Francine & Byron Pirola
Couples on probation!
Why cohabitation doesn’t work Don’t get us started…there are SO many reasons why cohabitation is a bad idea, we could go on for pages! In this post– we want to focus on one: the probation factor. In case you’re wondering, the evidence is quite clear: cohabitation doesn’t ‘divorce-proof’ a subsequent marriage – it actually increases…
Read MoreThe Marriage Kit: Why Marry?
Couples marry for all sorts of reasons, but one of the almost universal expectations of couples is that marriage will make them happy. It is after all a dominant emotion of the romance experience. But is this really what marriage is for? In this short video we explore happiness and the true purpose of marriage.…
Read MoreDate Claimer: Renaissance of Marriage 2016
Mark your calendars! Friday Oct 21- Sunday Oct 23 | Sydney, Australia International and National Speakers including Christopher West For Catholic marriage educators, clergy, marriage mentors, counsellors, ministers and couples To Register for updates, visit MRC
Read MoreEngaged Online Goes Live
There’s great excitement here as we activate SmartLoving Engaged Online for public access. We’ve been working on the platform for three months and are very pleased with the result. There are still a few things for us sort out and no doubt lots of troubleshooting challenges in the days ahead, which is why we are…
Read MoreQuit Brooding!
Part 2 of It Takes One to Tango You are dissatisfied with your marriage. Your spouse may or may not share your disillusionment. Your spouse may or may not be willing to work with you towards a more loving, intimate connection. But without him/her, there’s not a lot you can do to improve your situation,…
Read MoreThree Ways to Do Lent
Lent is one of our favourite seasons in the Church calendar; for a decent period (but not an interminable one), we get to do a bit of spiritual spring cleaning. It’s the perfect prompt to give the boot to bad habits and pick up better ones. And it comes with some spiritual superpower assistance. Here…
Read MoreLove Lesson
Love is complicated…or is it? A message from kids on love for St Valentine’s Day.
Read MoreBe My Valen-time!
Insufficient time together is one of the biggest contributors to relationship breakdown. Whether our relationship is flying or sinking, time together is like a balm, healing the bumps and bruises of life and stimulating our feelings of affection and tenderness. And with Valentines’ Day approaching, it’s the perfect opportunity to give the gift of time.…
Read MoreBreaking Through
Every marriage goes through seasons – seasons of delight and seasons of heartache.Sometimes, those dark seasons are simple missteps that are corrected quickly and overcome with an even deeper tenderness the result. Sometimes they can seem interminable – stretching into a hope-voided distance. Whatever your season of marriage, the SmartLoving BreakThrough workshop is an essential experience. Unlike…
Read MoreFive Myths About Marriage
Is marriage outdated? Here are five myths about marriage that may surprise you. Marriage gets a pretty bad rap these days. Celebrity bust-ups, high profile infidelity and a cohabitation takeover seem destined to put marriage into retirement. If it’s not already dead, it’s fast heading for extinction. Or so you might think. The truth is, despite…
Read More