Today is a memorable day. Veterans Day: the day our nation sets aside to honor the men and women who served in the Armed Forces. So to the many who have served, I say “Thank you for your service!”

In addition to remembering our veterans, I also remember the day my son was born. Happy Birthday, Ryan! I am honored to call you my son!

Last week I sewed crazily. I wanted to finish some gifts for the weekend, so I spent a lot of time in front of my machines. As I did, I thought about all that sewing and crafting with my hands has taught me.

I learn so much from the every day things that I do. A year or so ago, I was mowing lawn. It was after a storm so there were lots of sticks in my yard. I thought about the sticks and how they got to the ground; I thought about the wind that blew them from the trees; I thought about the condition of the stick that it so easily fell from the tree.

You see, the sticks on the ground were dead sticks. The wind blew out dead branches, that no longer provided beauty and health to the tree.

There are times when the wind blows through my life and the dead things I keep around are dislodged and fall to the ground. The things that no longer bring beauty and health to my life fall away.

God spoke to my heart that day. He was in the process of removing some dead branches and it wasn’t feeling very good. But this lawn mowing experience gave me some clarity.

Read: Psalms 19:1-4

What do you learn from the natural world around you? What does God want to teach you in the things you do every day with your hands?