Advertise on podcast: Discerning Marriage

What should dating actually look like if you’re discerning marriage? Elizabeth breaks down the six stages she recommends: singleness, friendship, dating, committed relationship, pre-engagement, and engagement. She explains when to become exclusive, why multiple first dates can be appropriate, when physical intimacy should enter the picture, and why commitment shouldn’t be taken lightly. She also explores why your single season matters, the importance of healing and community, and why the hardest conversations should happen before engagement. Finally, Elizabeth explains how intentional pre-engagement discernment can change your engagement and help you enter marriage having already asked the questions that matter most. ⁠Ignite Hope Discerning Marriage Retreat Info ⁠ ⁠Next Step: A Course for Discerning Marriage ⁠ ⁠Discerning Marriage x Emily Chapman ⁠ 📸 ⁠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: 🛍️ ⁠⁠Store⁠

What if the patterns sabotaging your relationships began long before you met the person you want to marry? Dr. Gerry Crete shares how trauma, attachment styles, and unresolved wounds can shape the people we pursue, the relationships we struggle to sustain, and even the ways we turn to pornography or other behaviors for comfort. Elizabeth and Dr. Crete also unpack Internal Family Systems and its compatibility with Catholic faith. They discuss healing before marriage, recognizing self-sabotage, learning to love imperfect people, and using prayer and therapy to move toward secure attachment with Christ and others. Souls & Hearts: https://www.soulsandhearts.com/ Pateris Agape: https://www.youtube.com/@PaterasAgape 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: 🛍️ ⁠Store⁠

Lance and Nicole have been married for 30 years, but their story of marriage and family didn't unfold the way they expected. They open up about infertility, miscarriage, grief, and the temptation to become bitter when the future you've imagined disappears. They also challenge the common advice to simply “adopt” and explain why adoption and infertility require very different discernment. Along the way, they share how suffering unexpectedly led to deep relationships with spiritual sons and daughters, including priests and young people they helped accompany through life. This is a conversation about loss, trust, parenthood, marriage, and discovering what God can bring from suffering.Nicole's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicolerodriguezoffical/ 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

How do you raise children who don’t just inherit your faith, but actually choose it for themselves? Angèle and André Regnier share what they learned raising five children while building a Catholic movement for university students. We talk about why parents should model prayer instead of simply demanding it, what to do when your children don’t want to pray, why the people your kids admire can shape them more than you realize, and how to intentionally create that influence. We also explore respecting teenagers, giving children real freedom, teaching them to make decisions, responding to suffering, and why parents should stop parenting from fear of the world.Angèle and André's book: 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 can Hamilton teach us about dating, chastity, suffering, forgiveness, and marriage? Fr. Joseph-Anthony Kress joins Elizabeth Busby to explore why discernment is about faithfully taking the next step, not having your entire future figured out. They discuss why marriage is not a finish line, how couples can avoid waiting until temptation becomes overwhelming, and why we should not be scandalized by our own humanity. Drawing from pivotal moments in Hamilton, they also examine how suffering can draw us closer to Christ, why forgiveness does not mean forgetting, and what it means to choose a person, not simply the role they can play in your life. https://godsplaining.org/ Dominican Rosary Pilgrimage: https://rosarypilgrimage.org/join-us-for-the-2026-novena-dominican-rosary-pilgrimage/ 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

Kim Zember shares the extraordinary story of searching for love everywhere she could find it—same-sex relationships, success, missions, marriage, and even becoming someone she no longer recognized. She opens up about cheating on her husband, living with deep shame, and why none of it brought the peace she longed for. In this conversation with Elizabeth Busby, they explore unwanted singleness, same-sex attraction, healing, the difference between knowing about God and truly encountering Him, why so many people see God as a judge instead of a Father, and how discovering Christ transformed every desire without erasing the struggle.Restless Heart by Kim ZemberKim Zember’s IGKim’s website 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 does it actually mean to live for truth when it costs you something? In this conversation, we explore one of the most misunderstood figures in Scripture: John the Baptist. From his courage to confront powerful people to his willingness to die for the sanctity of marriage, his life challenges our understanding of discipleship, masculinity, and holiness. Along the way, we also hear Fr. Sean’s personal story, discuss discerning God's will, overcoming fear, and discovering joy through prayer. Whether you're wrestling with faith, searching for purpose, or wanting to understand why truth matters, this conversation will leave you thinking differently.Get Fr. Sean's "Prophet of Fire" here 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 keeps good people single? In this candid conversation, Catholic matchmaker Madigan shares the hard truths she's learned from working with thousands of singles. We discuss unrealistic expectations, dating app culture, ghosting, attraction, self-improvement, and why so many people struggle to find a spouse despite deeply desiring marriage. Madigan also shares her own unexpected love story, practical advice for discerning marriage, and her framework for knowing when you're choosing wisely versus settling. Whether you're single, dating, or helping someone discern their vocation, this episode offers hope, challenge, and a fresh perspective on modern Catholic dating. commitmentism.com/ 📸 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 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

This Q&A episode with Elizabeth dives into some of the most honest and difficult questions around love, marriage, and personal struggle. From navigating depression while remaining open to life, to the deep ache of unwanted singleness, to breaking free from pornography and building a life of virtue—this conversation doesn’t shy away from the real battles.We explore how to approach dating with courage, how to grow during seasons of waiting, what it actually means to live out God’s design for marriage and intimacy, and how to make wise, intentional decisions about work, family, and relationships.If you’ve ever felt stuck, discouraged, or unsure how your desires fit into God’s plan—this episode is an invitation to rise higher, think deeper, and walk forward with purpose.

In this Q&A episode of Discerning Marriage, Elizabeth answers questions about heartbreak, waiting for marriage, and dating with intention. What do you do when someone you love moves on without giving closure? How do you keep hope when waiting for marriage feels harder with time? And how should couples approach physical affection while living chastely? Elizabeth discusses forgiveness vs. reconciliation, why suffering can deepen hope, the importance of physical boundaries, and practical ways to stay connected in long-distance relationships. If you're discerning marriage or healing from heartbreak, this conversation offers wisdom, encouragement, and a Christ-centered vision for love. 📸 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