marriage Archives

Life Has Won

Written by Katie Zulanas, Executive Director. As I write this, I see the proclamation “Life has won!” and there is cause to rejoice with the overturning of Roe v Wade, and in my mind some acknowledgement can be made to the steadfast work of the members of the Couple to Couple League. Despite seemingly overwhelming…

Our Family’s Journey with NFP

Originally Published in Family Foundations. Milton and Sandra Garcia share this witness talk with thecouples they teach in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Sandra is a bilingual FSI Coach as well. Sandra: We started as friends, members of the same youth group of our parish. Friendship turned into love and after about two years of dating, we…

Better Marriage Because of NFP

Originally Published in Family Foundations Colleen: I attended Catholic schools which is where I heard about the Church’s teaching against contraception and that there was something called NFP. I didn’t really understand either, but knowing the teaching laid the foundation for my moral conscience. TJ: I went to public schools but was raised in a…

The Fruits of CCL in Hawaii

Written by Anne Marie Williams You are no doubt aware that the Couple to Couple League method often leads naturally to family growth. But embracing the method’s emphasis on service and self-gift regularly yields fruitfulness, growth, and evangelization far beyond users’ immediate families, impacting whole communities and future generations. Here, is the first of a…

A New Way of Teaching NFP with Self-Paced Students

CCL Teaching couple, Colleen O’Rourke, shares her experiences of mentoring self-paced students using the CycleProGo App. Colleen O’Rourke has been married to her husband Tom for 25 years and lives in Mason, Ohio with their 4 children, ages 15 to 22. Tom and Colleen have been teaching with CCL for 20 years, mentoring couples and…

Joy Amidst Uncertainty

Marriage Planning “It is difficult to know at what moment love begins; it is less difficult to know it has begun. A thousand heralds proclaim it to the listening air, a thousand messengers betray it to the eye,” says the poet Longfellow. What a glorious time–to be newly in love and looking forward to beginning…

More evidence that periodic abstinence is good for marriage relationship

New research confirms that despite the challenge of periodic abstinence, the use of natural family planning can be beneficial for marital relationships. The study, “Natural Family Planning and Marital Chastity: The Effects of Periodic Abstinence on Marital Relationships” (Linacre Quarterly, June 12, 2020) by Richard J. Fehring, PhD, RN, and Michael D. Manhart, PhD, found…

6 books to read before you get married

Congratulations! You’re engaged! Phew, do you have a lot of work ahead of you. It will be easy to get caught up in the details of the big day, so take it from someone who’s just a month away from her own wedding: make a point to slow down and put some preparation towards the…

Eight habits to strengthen every marriage

From the Family Foundations archives **** There’s a lot of confusion about what separates happy couples from unhappy couples. For instance, you might be surprised to know that happy couples argue about as often as unhappy couples and are about as good at solving problems! The real difference between marriage masters and marriage disasters is that happy…

The world of quieter conversions

St. Paul’s conversion, with all its drama and bright lights and the booming voice of God, reads like something out of a comic book. While such film-worthy revelations of God to his people are rare, quiet conversions and reversions are far more numerous than people may believe. In NFP circles in particular, we see that…