Posts by Francine & Byron Pirola
A Marriage to Remember
My mother, Pam White, has had a full life. In her 67 years she has raised three children, enjoyed a rewarding career as a social worker and been a devoted partner to my father, Ed. But as she puts it, “There’s just one little glitch”. In 2009, at age of 61, she was told that she had…
Read MoreSleeping with a different woman every night
Married life is many things but it is never boring! When we are talking about marriage to high school students invariably some guy at the back of the room asks me as the husband “but doesn’t it get boring sleeping with the same women every night?”. In today’s confused understanding of sexuality it’s perhaps not…
Read MoreMy Many Marriages
We all understand that our marriages go through their ups and downs, but we often don’t appreciate that they also go through fundamental changes over the years. We have come to realise that we have actually had several marriages already in our 26 years together. For example, there was the ‘newlywed marriage’ where we were…
Read MoreHow Porn Kills Great Sex in Marriage
According to Sam Black of Covenant Eyes, there are four fundamental ways that pornography undermines marital sex. Contrary to expectations, porn won’t make you a better lover, it won’t spice things up, it certainly won’t help you deepen your understanding of God’s plan for your sex life. He explains how porn hurts a good sex…
Read MoreConscious Uncoupling Debunked
When Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin announced their intention to ‘consciously uncouple’ last month, the twitter-sphere went crazy. Not only is a Hollywood bust up big news, everyone wanted to know what ‘conscious uncoupling’ was. The LA counsellor who hosts a website with the name found herself inundated with calls and her website crashing. Apparently,…
Read MoreSave a marriage for $200
In July, the Federal Government’s pilot ‘relationship voucher scheme’ comes into effect. The trial period has budgeted for 100,000 couples to receive a $200 voucher towards the cost of a relationship education class run by approved providers. One has to ask: Why, with so many cutbacks in the budget, would the government initiate a $20…
Read MoreSerial Dating or Smart Dating?
Why is it that as a society we only get serious about saving a marriage when it is under threat of ending? What might happen if we paid as much attention to the front end of the marriage, at the second or third date? Persuing Romance The reality is that most people will marry someone…
Read MorePartner Selection
How do you know what to look for in a romantic partner? One young woman liked to tell us she had three simple criteria for a boyfriend: good massages, could fix her car and curly hair! We’re sure she was joking but at least she was thinking about it. Dr John Van Epp is a…
Read MoreVideo: Look Up
Such a powerful reminder to truly connect with people on a human level and leave behind the mediocre. Technology connects us, yet we are more disconnected from each other. Look up once in a while. Leave behind the distractions. It might just be the best decision you’ve ever made.
Read MoreFrancis: Three Magic Words
Three Magic Words On St Valentine’s Day this year, Pope Francis gathered with 20,000 Engaged Couples to encourage them in their journey. Reflecting on the ‘art’ of married life, Francis noted that it is “a patient, beautiful and fascinating journey” which doesn’t end when we win over each other’s heart. On the contrary it is…
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