Discerning Marriage

What does it actually take to build a marriage that lasts?In this episode, Dr. Gregory Popcak shares the surprising story of proposing after just two months of dating, how he and his wife Lisa built a 37-year marriage, and why prayer became the foundation of everything they created together. We discuss why so many faithful Catholics struggle to find someone to marry, the difference between piety and genuine devotion, how to identify humility while dating, and the single best predictor of future marital success.We also dive into parenting, why treating children like projects backfires, what causes adult children to drift away from their parents, and the habits shared by families who successfully pass on the faith. This conversation is packed with practical wisdom for discerning marriage, building strong relationships, and creating a home where faith truly comes alive.
Dr. Gregory Popcak's Website
Ignite Hope Discerning Marriage Retreat Info

Spotify

📸 Elizabeth’s Instagram

👩‍❤️‍👨 If you’re seriously dating and thinking about getting engaged, check out our Next Step course to help discern if you’re both ready for engagement.

Theology of the Body Institute Resources:
🔥 ⁠3 FREE sessions of our flagship course on the TOB⁠
💬 Text TOB to (404) 647-7682
⚡️ ⁠Support us & get access to leading TOB formation⁠
📚 ⁠Course schedule⁠
🏔️ ⁠Pilgrimages⁠
🛍️ ⁠Store⁠

What do you do when you keep making eye contact with someone at Mass… but he never talks to you? Should you wait for someone who “isn’t ready yet”? Can you discern marriage and religious life at the same time? And how do you know if the peace you feel in a relationship is actually from God — or just emotions?
In this Q&A episode, we dive into modern Catholic dating, discernment, masculinity, red flags, vocation anxiety, spiritual clarity, pornography, confession, desire, and the very real fear of making the wrong life decision. This conversation is honest, practical, deeply personal, and full of the kind of advice most people are too afraid to say out loud.

Ignite Hope Discerning Marriage Retreat Info
Fr. Ambrose Criste episode link

📸 Elizabeth’s Instagram

👩‍❤️‍👨 If you’re seriously dating and thinking about getting engaged, check out our Next Step course to help discern if you’re both ready for engagement.

Theology of the Body Institute Resources:
🔥 ⁠3 FREE sessions of our flagship course on the TOB⁠
💬 Text TOB to (404) 647-7682
⚡️ ⁠Support us & get access to leading TOB formation⁠
📚 ⁠Course schedule⁠
🏔️ ⁠Pilgrimages⁠

In this powerful episode, Father Gregory Pine joins Elizabeth Busby to tackle the "spicy" reality of divorce and the permanence of marriage. They navigate the painful process of discerning a breakup, offering a "home run" of practical advice for anyone currently in the trenches of heartbreak. By exploring Thomistic wisdom and the necessity of "training the tongue," Fr. Gregory reveals how to stop catastrophizing and start "recollecting" your soul during times of loss. Ultimately, this conversation calls you higher—challenging you to look beyond your current relational status and anchor yourself in your "uppercase V vocation": partaking in the eternal bliss of the Trinity.

Ignite Hope Discerning Marriage Retreat Info

📸 Elizabeth’s Instagram

👩‍❤️‍👨 If you’re seriously dating and thinking about getting engaged, check out our Next Step course to help discern if you’re both ready for engagement.

Theology of the Body Institute Resources:
🔥 ⁠3 FREE sessions of our flagship course on the TOB⁠
💬 Text TOB to (404) 647-7682
⚡️ ⁠Support us & get access to leading TOB formation⁠
📚 ⁠Course schedule⁠
🏔️ ⁠Pilgrimages⁠
🛍️ ⁠Store⁠

In this unscripted “devil’s advocate” Q&A, we respond to real questions challenging Catholic perspectives on dating and physical intimacy—especially kissing during engagement. Is it helping discernment or sabotaging it? Drawing from St. John Paul II and real-world counseling experience, this conversation unpacks the stages of dating, the purpose of engagement, and the difference between emotional bonding and intentional formation. If you’ve ever wondered how far is too far—or how to date with clarity, freedom, and purpose—this episode offers a vision that calls you higher, not just further.

Ignite Hope Discerning Marriage Retreat Info

📸 Elizabeth’s Instagram

👩‍❤️‍👨 If you’re seriously dating and thinking about getting engaged, check out our Next Step course to help discern if you’re both ready for engagement.

Theology of the Body Institute Resources:
🔥 ⁠3 FREE sessions of our flagship course on the TOB⁠
💬 Text TOB to (404) 647-7682
⚡️ ⁠Support us & get access to leading TOB formation⁠
📚 ⁠Course schedule⁠
🏔️ ⁠Pilgrimages⁠
🛍️ ⁠Store⁠

What if the way you’ve been “discerning marriage” is actually keeping you stuck?In this episode, Fr. Ambrose Criste breaks open a radically freeing vision of vocation, relationships, and spiritual warfare. We unpack how to tell the difference between real red flags and emotional or spiritual attacks, why fear and overthinking can paralyze your discernment, and the surprising truth that you may not need to “discern marriage” at all.We also dive into tough, practical questions—pornography in relationships, what you can (and can’t) compromise on, why “lowering your standards” might actually mean reordering them, and how to move forward with clarity and peace instead of anxiety.If you’ve ever felt stuck, afraid of making the wrong choice, or unsure how to move forward in love, this conversation will challenge you, ground you, and call you higher.

📸 Elizabeth’s Instagram

👩‍❤️‍👨 If you’re seriously dating and thinking about getting engaged, check out our Next Step course to help discern if you’re both ready for engagement.

Theology of the Body Institute Resources:
🔥 ⁠3 FREE sessions of our flagship course on the TOB⁠
💬 Text TOB to (404) 647-7682
⚡️ ⁠Support us & get access to leading TOB formation⁠
📚 ⁠Course schedule⁠
🏔️ ⁠Pilgrimages⁠
🛍️ ⁠Store⁠