Tools for Level 2:
- Just Married: The Catholic Guide to Surviving and Thriving in the First Five Years of Marriage, by Gregory and Lisa Popcak
- Witness to Love: How to Help the Next Generation Build Marriages that Survive and Thrive, by Ryan and Mary-Rose Verret
- Art and Laraine Bennett’s books on the temperaments, including The Temperament God Gave You and The Temperament God Gave Your Kids; and their interview with the Made for Love podcast
- The Called & Gifted Discernment Process, workshop on discerning charisms, or spiritual gifts, available through the St. Catherine of Siena Institute
- The More2Life podcast co-hosted by Dr. Gregory Popcak and his wife, Lisa
- Unbound: Freedom in Christ book and conferences, approach to deliverance and healing prayer by Neal Lozano
- How to Heal Your Marriage and Nurture Lasting Love, by Gregory Popcak
- Healing Your Family Tree by Beverly Hubble Tauke
- 5 benefits of date nights, based on a National Marriage Project study.
- 10 budget-friendly date night ideas, brought to you by Catholic Mom.
- In this important podcast episode on date nights, Mike and Alicia Hernon of the Messy Family Project share the following: “Dedicated time alone without the children is an essential part of any healthy marriage.
- Here is a brief outline overview of Pope St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body, courtesy of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
- Fr. Mike Schmitz has a helpful video on this topic: “Why God Gave us Bodies.”
- Read Soren’s Arlington Catholic Herald column on “digital minimalism” to find some practical ways to (re)ground yourself in your day-to-day physical surroundings.
- Check out Art and Laraine Bennett’s excellent book on this topic: The Temperament God Gave Your Spouse.
- In her article on “Personality Differences” in marriage, Judy Clark offers helpful suggestions.
- Dr. Michael Horne has an excellent piece on 5 communication tips for spouses.
- Author Justin Coulson at the Institute for Family Studies explains “What Every Child Needs Right Now,” focusing on being heard, humor, help, and hope.
- Soren focuses on gratitude and “how to accept help” in his latest Arlington Catholic Herald column.
- The Augustine Institute’s FORMED — a kind of ‘Netflix’ for Catholic content, from movies and audio books to much more. If your parish has access to this subscription, take advantage of this great way to go deeper in faith, online.
- Soren’s column in the Arlington Catholic Herald gives you 10 inspiring phrases to help you move from “shellshock” to “structure” in these unprecedented days.
- “How families can make the most of the Mass at home,” including a suggestion to have a “space that is set apart” and “the focal space of Eucharistic devotion.”
- Scott Stanley offers three keys to a healthy relationship in the shadow of the Coronavirus, courtesy of the Institute for Family Studies.
- A deep and rewarding dive into the family as a communion of persons, check out professor and author Dr. Janet Smith’s essay, “The Family: A Communion of Persons.”
- The National Catholic Register’s article, “The Domestic Church in Quarantine Makes Good Use of Home Altars.”
- Curious about spiritual gifts? “How Knowing Your Charisms Can Radically Change Your Life,” an article in Aleteia, is a great place to start.
- Here’s a great compilation of sources, including passages from scripture on specific spiritual gifts, courtesy of the Diocese of Lafayette.
- Get a better handle on our own spiritual gifts thanks to the Called and Gifted discernment program and Spiritual Gifts Inventory. This FAQ at Sherry Weddell’s St. Catherine of Siena Institute website is a great place to learn more. Hear Sherry’s fuller presentation on charism discernment, check out this video.
- In this article on the “Church at Home,” Rachael and Dr. Greg Popcak touch on discovering “your family mission and charism” and the “unique role your family plays in building the Kingdom of God.”
- Soren’s column in the Arlington Catholic Herald challenges us to deepen our yearning for Jesus—in his Eucharist and in the body of believers.
- Check out “How Praying for Your Spouse Can Improve Your Marriage” in Psychology Today.
- Interview with psychologist Dr. Peter Damgaard-Hansen: “How to Navigate Your Marriage During Covid-19“.
- “The Advice That Improved Our Marriage“ with Jackie and Bobby Angel of Ascencion Presents is an engaging 10-min. video with tips for communicating with your spouse, not making your loved one into an idol, and more.
- Dr. Michael Horne has an excellent piece on 5 communication tips for spouses.
- “Three Keys to a Healthy Marriage in the Shadow of the Coronovirus“ by Scott Stanley at the Institute for Family Studies (IFS)
- “Marriage in Post-Covid America,” a webinar with sociologist Dr. Brad Wilcox and psychologist Eli Finkel.
- Institute of Family Studies offers this collection of practical articles on marriage communication.
- For Your Marriage, a go-to website with valuable resources for couples and families, sponsored by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
- “Six Lessons on Staying Married from Couples Who’ve Struggled and Made It“ by Alyssa ElHage at the Institute for Family Studies.
- Greater knowledge of our family tree can even lead to healing from wounds, sin, and the unhealthy relational habits which families too often pass down from one generation to the next. Check out Healing Your Family Tree: A Destiny-Changing Journey Toward Freedom, Forgiveness, and Healthier Relationships (on Amazon).
- The Secret Benefits of Retelling Family Stories by Sue Shellenbarger in the Wall Street Journal, offers a good introduction to this topic.
- Grandparents: Keepers of the Family’s Stories, by Deacon Gary and Kay Aitchison in an article at For Your Marriage, includes over 10 practical ideas such as family cookbooks and fieldtrips to family historical sites.
- In Focus on the Family’s The Power of Your Story, Ed Chinn writes, “Our family stories carry the imprint of God’s destiny and love.”
- In Telling Family Stories: Why Capturing Family Memories Matters for Leadership Story Lab, Esther Choy reports that “Children who have the most confidence have a sense of ‘intergenerational self’ and ‘They know they belong to something bigger than themselves.'”
- Enjoy What Our Bibles Say About Us, a column which describes a great-grandmother’s Bible.