Experience is not always the best teacher

By Francine & Byron Pirola | May 17, 2024

Lots of people think that dating (and being sexually intimate) with a number of different people before marriage is an essential part of  forming a…

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Are we outliving marriage?

By Francine & Byron Pirola | May 10, 2024

We’ve heard it said many times – you probably have as well – it goes like this. “People live so much longer these days, it’s…

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Romance and Mystery

By Francine & Byron Pirola | May 3, 2024

One of the things that makes a new romance so exciting and attractive is the element of uncertainty: Is this person really interested in me?…

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Called to Greatness

By Francine & Byron Pirola | April 26, 2024

The word ‘vocation’ comes from the Latin ‘vocare’ which means ‘to call’. Our primary vocation, the one we all share, is the vocation to holiness.…

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Private Vows: Good Idea or Not?

By Francine & Byron Pirola | April 19, 2024

With a son and two nieces presently engaged, there’s a lot of conversation about weddings in our household. One of the things that has come…

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The Epic Battle in Every Marriage

By Francine & Byron Pirola | April 12, 2024

If there is one thing that the seasons of Lent and Easter bring into focus, it’s the struggle between good and evil. At its heart,…

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Finding Our Way to Heaven

By Francine & Byron Pirola | April 5, 2024

We’ve been listening to Mike and Alicia Hernon’s podcast called Messy Families. One of their recurring messages for parents is: stop worrying about getting your…

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Passion, Death, and Resurrection in Marriage

By Francine & Byron Pirola | March 29, 2024

Every marriage has elements of passion, death, and resurrection. These seasons of growth, disillusionment and revitalisation are entirely normal, and to be expected. The problem…

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Being God’s presence to those we Accompany

By Francine & Byron Pirola | March 22, 2024

Pope Francis has called Catholic communities to accompany couples at various stages. What does accompaniment look like, and is there anything special about a Catholic…

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Hear Me, Touch Me, Know Me

By Francine & Byron Pirola | March 15, 2024

In relationships, the word ‘intimacy’ is often used as a euphemism for sex, but this is a very narrow and impoverished view. Some people have…

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Gratitude: The Heart-beat of Love

By Guest Author | March 8, 2024

New research validates age-old wisdom: the simple habit of gratitude can transform a jaded marriage into a joyous encounter. By Marilyn Rodrigues A University of…

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Two Sides to Relationship Repair

By Francine & Byron Pirola | March 1, 2024

Periods of disconnection are an unfortunate part of every marriage. Relationship Repair takes both an initiator and receiver. Disconnection has happened frequently in our marriage,…

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Three Ways to a Resilient Marriage

By Francine & Byron Pirola | February 23, 2024

We’ve been hearing from many of our SmartLoving leaders around the world looking for help in supporting couples under stress. There’s certainly lots of stress…

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Lent: the ultimate change-maker

By Francine & Byron Pirola | February 16, 2024

Like most people, our optimistic resolutions for the New Year tend to fizzle out before the end of January. Thankfully, Lent gives us another, and…

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Stonewalling: A Silent Killer in Marriage

By Francine & Byron Pirola | February 9, 2024

Stonewalling – aka ‘the silent treatment’ – is common in many marriages. Never helpful and poorly understood, we ignore it at our risk. Stonewalling is…

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