Relationship Tips
New Product: The Ambitious Couple
Ambition means ‘to seek after earnestly, to aspire to’. It is usually a characteristic associated with individuals. The question for couples is: What is the role of ambition in our marriages? This is the topic for the latest instalment in the SmartLoving @Home series (more info: here) in which authors Byron & Francine Pirola offer thought-provoking insights and practical…
Read MoreCohabitation
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 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 MoreFertility – an Introduction
Being married in the Catholic Church is both a challenge and a privilege. Unlike secular marriage, Catholic couples are called to a radical lifestyle …
Read MoreMarital Resilience
Let’s face it – marriage is a tough gig these days. With divorce rates higher than we’d like, too many families are being torn apart by marriage breakdown. What can couples do to immunize their marriages against this tragedy? Marital resilience starts with a well-grounded understanding of what marriage is and what it isn’t. A lot of…
Read MoreDesire Problems (Sex)
Sexual Desire Problems Our desire for sex, or libido, is not a constant throughout our lives. The hormone Testosterone is associated with libido. Testosterone levels are about 20 times higher in men than they are in women, which accounts in part for a man’s generally higher sex drive. However it is important to remember that…
Read MoreHug to Diffuse
When the tension mounts, what can couples do to restore their harmony? The Connect Hug is simple and powerful. Learn how to hug to diffuse. It’s happening again. Suddenly we find ourselves in that all too familiar territory: we’re gridlocked in an argument about goodness-knows-what and it’s starting to turn nasty. Our spirits deflate. We…
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