x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

SmartLoving Conversations

Francine Pirola and Laura Cain

A place to discuss all things Catholic marriage! Married life is messy! Hosted by Francine Pirola and Laura Cain, our live conversations seek to go deeper into the mystery - and the messy reality - of living Catholic marriage. With our guests, we explore love, marriage, family and living our Catholic faith. We"ve set our sights on heaven but our real and honest conversations keep our feet on the ground. We"ve had our triumphs and struggles and so have our guests. For smarter or dumber, for happy or

society & culture relationships

All Episodes

3:57

Keeping Love Alive in the Present Moment - SL...

SmartLoving Conversations ·

2025/03/20

Our romantic memories are the fabric of our couple history. When we reconnect with these memories, we reinvigorate our emotional connection in the present and set a positive tone for our future together. https://smartloving.org/keeping-love-alive-in-the-present-moment/

en

5:19

The Gift of #STARETIME - SL Insights Ep 3

SmartLoving Conversations ·

2025/03/18

A corporate leader in India recently made headlines by suggesting his employees should work a 90-hour week, quipping, “What do you do sitting at home? How long can you stare at your wife, how long can the wife stare at her husband?” His remarks sparked quite the reaction, with some couples posting photos of themselves “staring” at their spouses and dubbing Sunday as “#stareday”. While the executive’s comments were meant to promote productivity, they inadvertently highlighted something profound

en

5:19

Pursuing a Lasting Love - SL Insights Ep 2

SmartLoving Conversations ·

2025/03/16

Lessons from St. Valentine | A reflection for World Marriage Day 2025 As we approach World Marriage Day on February 9th, we are reminded of another celebrated figure of marital devotion – St. Valentine. Today, his name evokes thoughts of flowers and romantic dinners. Yet St. Valentine’s true legacy speaks to something far more profound: the sacrificial nature of authentic love. As a priest in third-century Rome, St. Valentine defied Emperor Claudius II’s decree that prohibited young men from

en

5:04

Defending our Hearts - SL Insights Ep 1

SmartLoving Conversations ·

2025/03/12

Recently, Byron shared a new idea with Francine. Instead of encouragement, Francine responded with “when will you get time to do that?!” The conversation immediately terminated in gloomy withdrawal. Afterwards we unpacked the discussion. Francine explained that she was trying to protect her heart from future disappointment. Byron revealed how he feared he would be blamed for the strain his work puts on our relationship.Sigh. We wish it wasn’t so, but clearly after 30+ years of marriage we are still

en

52:57

Beyond Feelings - Ep 21

SmartLoving Conversations ·

2024/01/19

The world of feelings is vitally important to life and relationships. But what does current research and best practice tell us about how to understand them, and orient them for the best outcomes in our relationships?

en

48:22

The Good the Bad the Ugly of Holiday Traditions - Ep 20

SmartLoving Conversations ·

2023/12/22

Whether it's Christmas, Easter, Mothers/Fathers day, birthdays or Thanksgiving… holiday traditions can be a source of blessing or of grief. With our guest we unpack the traditions that have worked - and failed - for us and discussed strategies for being intentional in how we create our family culture.

en

44:41

Transition to Parenthood - Ep 19

SmartLoving Conversations ·

2023/12/01

The transition to parenthood is a challenge for all couples but for a couple that experienced almost a decade of infertility the change from being a married couple with no kids, to parenthood can be a dramatic shift in their identities and relationship. In this podcast Laura and Joseph Cain share their rollercoaster of marriage, infertility and then parenthood.

en

49:35

Anchored - Ep 18

SmartLoving Conversations ·

2023/10/20

In the summer of 2021, Tony Manfredonia, a songwriter, found himself on the brink of destroying his marriage. Lost in the relentless pursuit of career success, he had forsaken the most precious pillars of life: Love, Family, and Faith in God. His album, “ANCHORED”, is a testament to the snares of temptation that threaten to dismantle our bonds and the miraculous strength of faith that can rebuild them.https://smartloving.org/18-anchored/

en

62:28

Accompanying The Abandoned - Ep 17

SmartLoving Conversations ·

2023/10/06

When a marriage breaks down, it’s rarely by mutual agreement. More commonly, one spouse wants to leave and the other wants to rebuild. For the abandoned spouse, it is bewildering, traumatic and distressing. Yet the situation is complicated – both spouses are in pain. How can we, as a community and as individuals accompany the abandoned spouse

en

43:21

Frustrated Marriages - Ep 16

SmartLoving Conversations ·

2023/09/22

Frustration, disillusionment, irritation - it's common for spouses to experience a variety of disappointments in marriage. From mild and temporary setbacks, to sustained desolation, spouses are often unsure how to get out of the marital funk. In this episode we explore some key ideas to ease the marital frustration and regain serenity.

en

65:24

Passing on the Faith - Ep 15

SmartLoving Conversations ·

2023/08/25

Passing on the faith to our children is complicated for modern parents. In this episode, Francine explores some strategies and practical tips with young mother, Kiara Black – who also happens to be her daughter!

en

58:00

The "TALK" - Ep 14

SmartLoving Conversations ·

2023/08/11

It’s seems that having ‘the sex talk’ with our young tweens is getting more complicated with every generation. For Catholic parents, the presence of cultural forces that contradict our values can feel overwhelming. Join Francine as she explores the topic with puberty education expert Karen Doyle.

en

60:11

International Romances - Ep 13

SmartLoving Conversations ·

2023/07/14

With ubiquitous international travel and the advent of digital dating apps, increasingly, people are finding their match in another country. These international romances have unique features. Join us and our guests as we explore the joys and challenges of dating and marrying across continents.

en

44:10

War and Peace in the Home Front - Ep 12

SmartLoving Conversations ·

2023/06/16

Every nation remembers the sacrifice of their war veterans with a Memorial Day. Thinking about your marriage: is it more of a battlefield than the safe harbour it is intended to be?https://smartloving.org/12-war-and-peace-in-the-home-front/

en

52:59

Marriage Catechumenate - Ep 11

SmartLoving Conversations ·

2023/05/26

In this episode we will discuss the Marriage Catechumenate I will be interviewing SmartLoving Director Francine Pirola about this concept and vision from Pope Francis. Francine has done a lot of reading and research into this as given two presentations recently to clergy across Australia so in this episode we will explore what it would take to set up and continue to develop a marriage catechumenate and how it could be a real game changer in our church and in your own families to empower and activate

en

42:32

Forgiveness - Ep 10

SmartLoving Conversations ·

2023/04/28

In this episode we talk about forgiveness - what it is, what it isn't, how to do it, and why it's necessary. Forgiveness is the decision to let go of bitterness and negative feelings and thoughts towards somebody who hurt us and replace them with compassionate feelings and thoughts. When we forgive, we accept that something bad happened to us and say that we want to move on. We become willing to see the other person as God sees them which allows us to focus on more than what they did that hurt us

en

43:09

Managing Differences - Ep 9

SmartLoving Conversations ·

2023/03/31

Different personalities. Different upbringing. Different education. Different sexes. Sometimes different ethnic or religious background. With so many differences between us, is it any wonder that making decisions as a couple is complicated and sometimes conflictual. We unpack the SmartLoving

en

50:16

Marriage in the Wilderness - Ep 8

SmartLoving Conversations ·

2023/03/09

In this episode we reflect on Marriage in the Wilderness. All marriages will go through desert experiences and during the Season of Lent as we reflect on Jesus being led by the Spirit into the wilderness to pray and fast and how Christ was tempted by Satan we reflect on our own desert experiences in our relationships with God or in our marriage. How we do we protect against temptations and weakness when we do not feel the love of God or our spouse? We will explore these questions during the

en

51:45

Young and Married - Ep 7

SmartLoving Conversations ·

2023/02/17

When is someone too young to marry? What is the research, the experience and the facts about the age at which we marry? We're unpacking the myths, minefields and unexpected blessings of young marriage with SmartLoving graduate, Michael Paton.https://smartloving.org/7-young-and-married/

en

49:55

How to help a marriage in trouble - Ep 6

SmartLoving Conversations ·

2022/11/08

We all know someone whose marriage is in trouble or has ended. Often, they will drop hints or even speak openly in general conversation. How can we be supportive and helpful to friends and family when their marriage is struggling? Join us, and our guest, as we dig deep into our experience and share what we've learned from the experts. https://smartloving.org/6-how-to-help-a-marriage-in-trouble

en

65 results

Similar Podcasts

Voices of Life

APG Mannheim

Promo Estereo Podcast

Promo Estereo

Talking Timelines Podcast

Talkingtimelines

גיקונומי

ראם שרמן ודורון ניר

Drømmefanger

Drømmefanger