Search Results: lent

Choosing to Love

By Francine & Byron Pirola / May 11, 2015

Mothers Day Reflection If there is one thing that makes motherhood so worth celebrating, it’s a mother’s capacity for love for her children. Whether it’s her willingness to give over her body to nourish a newborn, her patience with the endless ‘but why’ questions of a toddler, or the testing rebellion of a teenager, mothers…

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The Father-in-Law from Heaven

By Francine & Byron Pirola / March 12, 2015

When we marry, we not only gain a spouse, we also gain a family including a father-in-law. When we marry in the Christian faith we also get a heavenly Father-in-Law. BEFORE you start wondering which happy husband or wife is blessed with such a father-in-law – our own are pretty good, by the way –…

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Tainted Love: Why is 50 Shades of Grey so Popular?

By Dr. Gregory Popcak / February 6, 2015

This article first appeared in Patheos and is republished here with the permission of the author. Note:  The following article deals frankly with sexual topics Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that 50 Shades of Grey, a popular soft-core pornographic movie about a timid young woman who is sexually dominated by a billionaire,…

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Five Ways To Help A Struggling Marriage

By Francine & Byron Pirola / January 19, 2015

We’ve all been in that situation. A friend or relative confides in us that they are having some marriage trouble. We want to help but knowing what to do that is genuinely helpful is tricky. Here are a few tips to keep in mind. Use your best listening skills: give your full attention, validate the…

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24/7 Connected

By Francine & Byron Pirola / January 12, 2015

Our young adult son is in a blue funk. He and his flatmates have been unable to get the internet connected to their new place for over 4 weeks. They’ve all maxed out their mobile phone plans and to hear them talk you would think it was a major offence against their human rights. We…

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In The Image of Christ and The Church

By Francine & Byron Pirola / January 8, 2015

Revelation 19:6-8 The Wedding of the Lamb Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude… crying out,“Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready;…

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The Catholic Family

By Francine & Byron Pirola / January 8, 2015

In a very real way for Catholics and Christians, ‘church’ is a faith family. Like any family we may like some relatives more than others, but we will still dance at their weddings and cry at their funerals. It is not about being right or better. Like a family, it is simply a special belonging…

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Love Gives Life

By Francine & Byron Pirola / January 8, 2015

True love cannot be contained; it always gives life in some form. For most couples, this will result in the biological birth of a child. For others, it will be expressed in a shared effort to generously give of their time and talents to others. “Masculinity contains in a hidden way the meaning of fatherhood…

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Romantic Atmosphere

By Francine & Byron Pirola / January 8, 2015

Sexual atmosphere is a climate of tenderness, openness, responsiveness and generosity that is created when you are attracted out of yourself and allow your masculinity or femininity to be fully alive and active. It’s like a non-verbal communication between you that signals your attraction to and receptivity to each other. You may be tempted to…

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The Body As A Theology

By Francine & Byron Pirola / January 8, 2015

Actions are far more powerful than words. Every look or touch can communicate clear messages that reveal your attraction and your desire to be for the other. As those messages grow more generous and committed, so too does the corresponding body language. All love is based on truth and sincerity. In the love between a…

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