3-Letter Lesson #39: T.F.G.

On this episode, Linda and Richard, in the midst of gathering with all of their children for Richard's birthday, reflect on how much parenting, particularly mothering, has changed. 30 years ago, when Joy School was at its peak, being a "stay at home mom" was the norm in many places. Was that the best way? Or with technology and working remotely can moms do as much for their kids today but in a very different way?

(Re-run from 12/11/2021) The Eyre's are in New York City today, and start the show with some of the reasons they love the city and their long history there. Then Richard and Linda start a new mini-series for Eyre's on the Road called Three Letter Lessons--short words that symbolize a principle or attitude or behavior we should adopt. "Eye" is about seeing people spiritually rather than physically--looking at people's eyes and using your own eye as a shutter to take an empathy picture.

On today's episode, Richard and Linda are joined by their son Eli for a discussion of the power and value of friendships. They share a family discussion they recently had about talking to our children about how to be a good friend, and they refer to a YouTube video featuring Trevor Noah and Simon Sinec that you can watch at https://youtu.be/CNBxIhxHHxM.

This week's 3-Letter Lesson is a warning and a caution--about how Taking For Granted (TFG) can undermine our happiness, eliminate our wonder and awe, and sedate us into missing out on all the little and big joys that life offers us. Richard and Linda explore why our minds default so often to a sense of entitlement or of taking things for granted instead of to the antidote of gratitude, awareness, and praise.

After 12 episodes exploring a "new lens" for viewing Church and family, the Eyres get back to their ongoing series on "3-Letter Lessons"--little word-pegs that remind us of perspectives and attitudes we want to embrace. Today the word is AGE, and Richard and Linda advocate that age and its wisdom and perspective should be valued, respected, tapped-into, and even cherished-- much more so than it is in western society today.

(Re-run from 10/30/2020) Lincoln said "Sometimes I am driven to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I have no place else to go." As parents, we often feel this same feeling. Parenting is hard, children are complicated, the world is dangerous and confusing, particularly in this pandemic--and we are driven to our knees because we have nowhere else to go. And this can be a GOOD THING, because an earthly parent praying to a Heavenly Parent about a child that they share can create some of the most fervent, effectual prayers ever uttered. And it can generate answers that we would never find anywhere else. On today's show, the Eyres talk about parental prayer and how we can all make it a more important part of our lives.

The Eyres are in New York City for the US Open Tennis tournament (and a little Broadway) and use the first part of this episode to think about their 60-year love affair with the City. They then move on to discuss the final installment of the 12-essay series on Familycentricity which focuses on Christ and how He is both the End, the Means, and the Joy of our lives. To see the full article go to latterdaysaintsmag.com.

In today's episode, Richard and Linda "go deep" attempting to discuss their belief in a two-way eternity and how and why they favor a faith that embraces eternal progression rather than eternal rest. They begin the discussion with the question they are frequently asked "What is different in your LDS beliefs as compared to traditional Christianity?" For a full essay on the topic, go to latterdaysaintmag.com.

In this episode, Linda and Richard tell a story about a beloved leader who taught them, by example, to always put people first. They then share a method for setting "Relationship Goals" and conclude with a metaphor about "staying on the porch after you storm out and slam the door."

Today the Eyres are thinking a little about ageing. But they are also talking about the fact that "family" should not just have the nuclear definition of parents and children, but the more common world definition of three or even four generations--often all living under one roof. They ask if, without living all together, we can partake of the benefits of 3-generation families. See accompanying article at latterdaysaintmag.com.