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The Fifth Generation Potter

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On our recent trip to Greece, and specifically to the island of Lesvos, Kim and found a pottery shop filled with beautiful handcrafted pottery. Inside was an older man setting up for the day with whom I began to speak in my very minimal Greek. I told him that my grandparents were from the island and from the town that his shop was in, Mantamados. After a bit, he brought some pieces out to show us, and when I picked one up I realized it was yet warm. It was right out of his kiln. He then signaled for me to follow him into his workroom, showing me the kiln from which the items had just come. What I found out next astounded me: he was a fifth generation potter.  I couldn’t imagine that his trade had been passed down to him through so many generations. That meant that his craft of making pottery had begun with his great-great grandfather—which may go back as far as the late 1700’s. To me that’s astounding! To think that somewhere along the line there was a father who taught his son the cra
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What's On Your Mind?

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Have you ever had one of those nights when you try to go to sleep but your mind is going in a million directions? It happens to all of us. It happens to me. I’m tired and want to sleep, but all of a sudden my mind fills up with all the stuff of the day, the things that are coming up, my next sermon, thoughts about my family, the things that are happening in the world around me, etc. I try to sleep but my mind flies in every direction except towards sleep.   It seems that, especially in the environment in which we live, our minds are constantly racing, thinking, and making decisions. The political environment around us, our newsfeeds, social media, and the constant stimuli that bounces against our brains all feed into the hyperactivity of our minds. Then add to all of that the normal concerns of life: family matters, jobs, the tasks that need to get done around the house. With so much to think about—so much coming into our brains—it’s no wonder we have those nights when our minds won’t
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Finding Family!

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Recently, Kim and I took a trip to Greece. One of our stops was the island of Lesvos, the island my grandparents had come from over 100 years ago. And, because of some family research I had done this past year, we were able to visit the exact town from which they came, Mantamados—a small town in the heart of the country.  Family in Lesvos - 1921 Before we left for Greece, I had posted on a Lesvos Facebook group I had joined that I was going to be visiting there, that my grandparents had come from Mantamados, and I gave the names of my grandparents. Someone responded, tipping me off that there was a dairy store and small yogurt factory that had my grandmother’s maiden name, Adali, on it. I looked it up on Google maps and sure enough it was there.   When we got to Mantamados, I was able to quickly find the store. The first time we passed by, it was closed. I was disappointed. About an hour later, however, we passed by again and a man was sitting inside. At first he told me in Greek he wa
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Reading to My Grandsons

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I have as the wallpaper on my phone a picture that Kim took last week. It’s a picture of me sitting on a bed and reading to Jesse and Jack, two of my grandsons. They are each holding a stuffed animal that we keep for them at our house. And they are looking intently at the pictures in the book. Most of all, they are listening intently to the words I am reading them and to the progression of the story.   As you probably know, there is nothing more beneficial to a child than being read to. Reading to children expands their vocabulary, helps them associate spoken words with written words, which in turn prepares them to learn how to read.  Reading to children brings with it all kinds of cognitive benefits that helps them succeed in their latter academic endeavors, as well as stimulates their creative juices. Best of all, reading to a child creates a bond between the child and their parent—or in this case, their grandparent. That’s why I love reading to my grandsons.  One thing that always a
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Are You ALL IN?

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As some of you may know, last year I participated in my first (and thus far, only) sprint triathlon. It was a super-charged event, leaving me with a feeling of incredible accomplishment. I will admit, the training was hard and time-consuming. Just about every day I was running or cycling or swimming or doing a combination of any one of them. There were times when I wanted to give up. But I knew the only way I would ever be able to complete the race was to be consistent, to train hard, to give it my all, to be all in.  Such is the way it is in life. No one ever accomplishes anything of significance being half-hearted. Whether in athletics or academics, relationships or business, success comes to those who wholeheartedly invest their time and energy and effort—to those who give it their all; to those who are all in.  Deuteronomy 6:5 says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” (NIV – emphasis mine) The word “all” speaks of everything
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Persistence and Determination

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While our son Nathaniel and his wife Sarah are away on a trip, Kim and I are watching their 10 month old Lab mix, Pepper. Well, like any good dog-sitter, I went and bought Pepper a couple of new chew toys to help occupy her time. What I didn’t know was that Pepper doesn’t just chew her toys, she rips them apart!  Whether it is a rubber bone or heavy woven rope, Pepper just gnaws at them, ripping them apart, piece by piece by piece. (And, we need to make sure she’s not swallowing any of the rubber or string.)   I’m amazed at how persistent and how focused Pepper can be when chewing on something. For a few minutes at least, it’s as if nothing else in the world exists. She will pull at a string until she gets it out and then go onto the next—and the next. All of her energy is focused on tearing apart whatever it is she has in her mouth. She is, what I would call,  quite “persistent” and “determined.”  It’s actually amazing to watch her at her task.  It makes me ask myself, am I that persi
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The End of Summer!

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It’s Labor Day weekend, the unofficial end to summer. I’m not all that thrilled about that. After all, in spite of the sometimes grueling heat and humidity, I love the summer months. I love running the boardwalk and then being able to jump into the ocean for a swim. I look forward to our family’s annual time up in the Adirondack Mountains, swimming, hiking, boating, etc. And, I simply love being able to get up in the morning and throw on some shorts and a t-shirt to walk the dog—no need for the big coats and sweaters. There’s so many things I like about summer. But, as they say, “all good things must come to an end,” and such is the case with summer.  Of course, the end of summer is not the “end” period. Rather, the end of the summer season marks the start of a new season. The end of summer, leads us into the season we call “autumn” or “fall.” And, it as well is a beautiful time of year.  With cooler temperatures making their way in, the leaves changing color, and so many different thi
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