Family Foundations Archives - Natural Family Planning | Fertility Awareness

Cooling Foods that Supplement Hormone Balance

This fall the heat has lingered in many places. So we have a second summer with backyard barbecues, and outdoor fun. Hotter temps can also bring dehydration, inflammation, fatigue, and blood sugar fluctuations. Thankfully, summer offers plenty of refreshing foods that naturally support hydration and reproductive wellness. Proper hydration boosts cervical mucus production, energy levels,…

23 Years of Teaching NFP

The Volpes in the Philadelphia suburbs have taught NFP for 23 of their 25 years of marriage, a statistic they can hardly believe. “It’s almost like I don’t need motivation,” says Jim. “The motivation is so inherent.” Jen learned about NFP when she converted from Methodist to Catholic in college. “My grandfather was a Methodist…

A Gift and a Mission

For Maria and Xavier Martinez, learning Natural Family Planning was more than discovering a method. It changed the way they understood marriage, deepened their appreciation for each other, and opened their hearts to a mission they now share with other couples. Maria and Xavier, who live in Minnesota and have two daughters, help with outreach…

The Ripple Effects of NFP

Carlos and Victoria DeBayle are a testament to the fact that NFP has ripple effects into the rest of marriage and that it is a great tool for giving your marriage the best chance for success. When Carlos and Victoria met in a Catholic group in college, they didn’t hit it off. “I was very involved, he saw me…

The Fruit of a Yes

When Carmen and Alejandro learned NFP wasn’t a requirement for engaged couples in the archdiocese of Miami because there weren’t enough teaching couples, they signed up to become teachers themselves. “We prayed about it and said we could, so we did,” they said. “NFP is an important part of our faith that isn’t shared enough.…

May Your Legacy Give Glory to God

When considering the Saints, it is easy to become captivated by the lasting legacy of their thoughts, words, and deeds. Consider St. Gianna Molla, whose heroism continues inspiring us through her courageous choice to protect her daughter’s life over her own. At St. Pier Giorgio Frassati’s funeral, thousands of Turin’s poor testified to his charitable…

Man to Man: Advice from NFP Grooms

She said yes! You’re engaged! Great! Now what? There’s finding a church, ordering food, booking the DJ and photographer. It’s enough to make a guy go nuts! From learning how to argue to taking the church’s marriage-preparation program seriously, your engagement can get you started on the right foot or the wrong one. It all…

Celebrating Food And Connection

Think back to the last meal that you ate…did you say grace prior to eating? Did you choose food that would nourish your body? Were you able to actually taste and savor your bites? Did you interact, connect and converse with the person with whom you were sharing the meal? Food Is A Connector Food…

Sharing Faith by Example

Illeane & Travis Athougies’ belief that the most important and effective way to show our children the beauty of the Faith is by example, is lived out in their ministry as a CCL teaching couple. Céline: Travis and Ileane, tell me about where your journey as a couple and as a family began! Ileane: Travis…

Three Marian Images of Pregnancy

There is a temptation to grow weary of the familiar. We see so many images of the Virgin Mary that they can begin to blur and lose significance. There’s also a temptation to tire of the familiarity of domestic life, especially in a culture that devalues interiority and motherhood. Perhaps in rediscovering the art we…