Here are some thoughts from our son Jeremiah, as he starts the new year. In 2022, he graduated from Hillsdale College with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and started his own knife-sharpening business, Same Day Sharpening. He lives with his wife and daughter in Tulsa, OK, and they are expecting a little son.
“… as I prepare for 2026, I’ve been reflecting a lot about St. Joseph, especially with the coming birth of our son in March.
Although a skilled craftsman, Joseph is remembered 2,000 years later not for his labor, but for his role as a father. Joseph was a téktōn, a skilled artisan who made his living working with his hands. He was not an influencer, a politician, or a wealthy businessman. Not a single word he spoke has been recorded. His work solved practical problems for those around him, and his labor as an art form was likely appreciated by even fewer. What he could not provide monetarily, he provided through sacrificial love.
He improvised and overcame problems. “No room in the inn? We’ll make do with what we have and try to make this stable as comfortable as possible for my wife in labor.” When he received a strange dream telling him to flee the country to protect his son, he trusted it and acted immediately, despite the enormous financial and vocational cost. In building this business, I’m blessed to be able to provide for my small family by working with my hands. Owning my own business means I can prioritize my family when necessary. I control every decision. I’m never pressured into morally questionable actions. I’m always able to provide the best service I can. But if building the best mobile sharpening service in the country comes at the cost of the love and faith of my son and daughter, then it’s all a waste.
One day, I will be judged by the harvest of my fruits. Those fruits will not be the hundreds of reviews on my Google page. Ultimately, I’m sure St. Joseph was an extremely talented carpenter. But imagine the consequences if he had shrugged off his role as a father and chosen to prioritize his business instead. With these thoughts in mind I’m looking forward to sharpening tens of thousands of more knives in 2026 except for a couple week break in the spring”.
The Tiews in Germany 