Eyres On The Road

As Christmas approaches, Richard and Linda tell some personal stories and continue last week's "Three Letter Lesson" on the EYE and how we can try to learn to ask ourselves the question "What would Jesus SEE?" How can we teach our children not only to look people in the eye, but to see into peoples' eyes? And how can we learn the same lesson for ourselves?

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 show, the Eyre's kick off the expanded Gratitude Challenge for December, suggesting that appreciation and listing things one is grateful for is just level one of Thank-full-ness. Level two is expressing that gratitude deeply and passionately to the GIVER. The challenge is to make our prayers more meaningful and humble by expressing thanks for five new things in prayer each day, and then listing those five things in our gratitude journals.

Thanksgiving finds the Eyre's in Arizona for a family celebration not only of the holiday but of their granddaughter and grandson-in-law solemnizing their marriage in the Temple. Richard and Linda share their annual Thanksgiving poem and renew their challenge to practice a different form of gratitude every month for the coming year.

This episode finds Richard, on the day after his cataract surgery, finding a new level of appreciation for sight--and Linda pushes the discussion forward with her feelings about art and beauty and the power of creativity. How can we hone and sharpen our vision and our gratitude? Explore these questions today with the Eyre's.

In today's show, the Eyre's explain why Thanksgiving is their favorite holiday and why they send out Thanksgiving cards each year rather than Christmas cards (and why thanks-giving is the best preparation for worshiping Christ at Christmas.) Join Richard and Linda on the yearly gratitude challenge they explain in this episode!

Controlling our appetites is an indispensable part of good parenting and good example-setting for our children. If we can learn to control our appetite for food, it will lead to control of ALL of our other appetites, including our technology appetite. When Dr, Bridell's Rational Diet was serialized in Meridian Magazine and drew comments and commendations from thousands of readers, it was decided to reveal the identity of the mysterious Dr. Bridell who turned out to be none other than Richard Eyre. Richard had used the pen name because he wanted the revolutionary half-diet to stand on its own merits, but after the amazing results reported by users (literally tons of weight lost), it was time for Richard to come out of hiding. On today's show, Richard and Linda explain this unique and logical approach to dieting and appetite control in our lives.

In today's episode, the Eyre's read a little from their new book DAILY THANKS (which happens to be on a half-price Thanksgiving sale on Amazon right now) and challenge us all to join them in keeping a gratitude journal for the coming year--starting right now on November 1 as a lead up to Thanksgiving. The November challenge is to list 10 things you are thankful for every day of the month. The emphasis and type of gratitude will shift for December 1.

On today’s show, Richard and Linda explore ways that we can relish rather than resent surprise in our lives and actually cultivate the spontaneity that so many of us lose as we get older and add more structure and routine in our habits. They introduce us to their favorite word, "serendipity," and explain the true origin and meaning of the world and illustrate how it can give us more joy, particularly in our families.

For decades, speaking and presenting on subjects of parenting, marriage, and life-balance has been a staple of Richard and Linda's lives. On today's podcast, they share their preparation for a speech they are giving to employees of the SLC International airport where they will focus on two things: Three Steps to a strong family (establishing family rules, family traditions and a family economy) and life balance (how to balance family, work, and personal needs.)

The Eyre's are in St. George Utah for today's episode--Richard is there competing in the World Senior Games, and he and Linda begin the show musing about their tradition of going to the Red Rock country of Southern Utah every October. They then share some of the current events with their own family and discuss "best practices" for giving advice to adult children and holding a "Sunday Session" each week to review goals and priorities.

On today’s episode, Richard and Linda go deep into the subject of grand parenting—but it is not just a show for grandparents—its for parents too and for grandchildren—its about the whole family-village and how it can all work together better. Richard talks about how to be a more proactive and involved grandparent and Linda discusses how to know when and what to say to parents, and what not to say. Both agree that grand parenting is GRAND.

Richard flies solo on today's show while Linda is on a little retreat in Charleston and Savannah and the Outer Banks with her daughters and daughters in law. Richard takes on the topic of the ramifications of believing in literal Heavenly Parents. What difference can that belief make in our everyday lives as parents and marriage partners and individuals? How can it change how we pray, how we think, how we live?

On today's show, Richard and Linda tackle some of the difficult political issues of our time, but from the paradigm or vantage point of the spiritual--and in the context of a quote from President Dallin H. Oaks "Our theology begins with heavenly parents. Our highest aspiration is to be like them." In that light, we see many of today's conflicts and issues differently.

Through Scripture and Prophets, we know a lot about how our Heavenly Father parents us, His spirit children. On today's show, Richard and Linda discuss 15 ways or methods by which God parents us, and challenges parents to strive to follow the same patterns or principles in how we parent our own children. After listening to the discussion, you can read these 15 Divine Patterns of Parenting on Meridian Magazine (article 10 in a series of 12 on The Parental God.)

The Eyres are in New York this week, and couldn't resist doing this episode on their love for the city and the important memories they have there--including family history and spiritual memories. From Richard's mission in the 60's to their publishing careers to the education and employment of their children, New York had been central. And those who predicted NYC's demise a year ago are instead seeing a renaissance.

As those who listen often to this podcast know, the Eyre's byword, or watchword, is "Joy" and they define it much more broadly than "happiness." On today's show, Richard and Linda explore the word in the context of the positive interpretation of ALL of the things that happen to us--the pain as well as the pleasure. And at the center of all of the emotions of joy is our family and our familial relationships.

The Eyres were evacuated from their home this week because of the threatening Parley's Canyon Fire, and on today's show they talk about the wrenching emotions of deciding what to take with you from a home you may never see again. What matters, what is most important, what do you love most, what brings true joy? Then Richard and Linda touch on teaching Joy to small, preschool children, and introduce listeners to Joy School.

Linda is speaking this week on an address by Elder Jeffery Holland, and on the show today she reflects on the need for patience in our family and in being able to wait for the blessings we want and accept answers that are different than what we thought we wanted. "Comparison", Linda says, "is the enemy of Joy," and she relates some personal stories about the need for patience in our families and in our prayers.

On today's episode, the Eyre's tell the story of their early-life mentor Neal A. Maxwell and how he played a role in their move from Washington DC to Utah. Richard and Linda also comment on one of their favorite Elder Maxwell speeches--on training the desires of our hearts and on the impact that can have on our families.