In 1785, a hot air balloon successfully crossed the English Channel for the first time.

Jean-Pierre Blanchard, a Frenchman, and his American passenger, Dr. John Jeffries, became the first people to cross the English Channel by air balloon when they traveled from Dover to Calais. The trip was not without its perils. The two had to shed their clothes as the wind died and the balloon’s airbag began to cool too quickly over the sea. For Blanchard, who had an avid interest in aviation, this was the beginning of “firsts” for him. In 1793, Blanchard made the first ever balloon ascent in America, carrying a letter from President George Washington from Pennsylvania to New Jersey (the first air mail!). Blanchard also made first balloon flights in Germany, Belgium, Poland, and the Netherlands.

But that’s not his only claim to fame. The story goes that Blanchard also owns the record for the most consecutive number of times saying, “Gosh, I hope we make it,” during one particular hazardous trip. Hope certainly had to be a major part of every one of Blanchard’s flights. But his hope was based on uncertainty. Blanchard really didn’t know whether his balloon would land safely, or if the wind would die, or if the airbag would cool too quickly. He just wanted them to.

That’s quite different from the hope we have as Christians. In the Bible hope is defined as looking forward to something you expect to happen. We can have that kind of confidence because of God’s character. What God has done for us in the past is the guarantee of what he will do in the future. We have real hope because it is based in God himself.

O Lord, you alone are my hope.
I’ve trusted you, O Lord, from childhood (Psalm 71:5).

To Do

Make an acrostic of the word HOPE, making a list of what we have hope for in God. Here’s a start: H—Heaven. You do the rest!

Also on this day . . .

I’m Not Going to Take it Anymore Day

1610—Galileo discovered four of Jupiter’s moons.

1789—The first national presidential election was held.

From Betsy Schmitt and Dave Veerman, 365 Trivia Twist Devotions: An Almanac of Fun Facts and Spiritual Truth for Every Day of the Year (Cincinnati: Standard, 2005). Scripture quotations are from the New Living Translation unless otherwise noted.

Samuel Morse demonstrates the telegraph for the first time in public.

In 1838, Samuel Morse unveiled the telegraph, demonstrating for the first time how signals could be transmitted by wire. Using a system of dots and dashes—now known as Morse code—the New York University professor showed how people could communicate over long distances nearly instantaneously. In some ways, you could call this the earliest form of today’s instant message—or IM.

The telegraph wasn’t, however, an instant success. It took Congress five years to agree to give Morse the money to build an experimental telegraph line from Washington to Baltimore, a distance of 40 miles.

The message, “What hath God wrought?” sent later by Morse code from the old Supreme Court chamber in the United States Capitol to Baltimore, officially opened the completed line on May 24, 1844. Morse allowed Annie Ellsworth, the young daughter of a friend, to choose the words of the message, and she selected this now well-known verse from Numbers 23:23.

Morse’s invention revolutionized communication. Being able to communicate rapidly opened up a whole range of possibilities that before had been impossible. Imagine your world without cell phones, email, or IMs. You would have to walk to your friend’s house to tell him anything, or send him or her a letter by good old snail mail. Thankfully, we don’t need any type of electronic device to help us communicate with God. All we need to do is speak or think and instantaneously God hears us. Prayer has been, and always will be, our IM to God. Use it today!

The Lord is close to all who call on him,
yes, to all who call on him sincerely (Psalm 145:18).

To Do

IM God today through prayer. Tell him what’s on your mind.

Also on this day . . .

1412—Joan of Arc was born.

1912—New Mexico became America’s 47^th state.

1942—The first commercial around-the-world airline flight took place.

From Betsy Schmitt and Dave Veerman, 365 Trivia Twist Devotions: An Almanac of Fun Facts and Spiritual Truth for Every Day of the Year (Cincinnati: Standard, 2005). Scripture quotations are from the New Living Translation unless otherwise noted.

Today is National Bird Day.

National Bird Day was created in 2003 as a day to celebrate and reflect on what we can learn from our fine-feathered friends. If you wish, you can get a book about birds at your local bookstore or library and try to identify the different types of birds that fly into your backyard. Or you can check out some interesting websites about birds. But did you know that you can learn much about—and from—birds just by reading the Bible?

There are more than 50 different references to birds in the Bible, and more than 34 different types are mentioned. The Bible tells us that God created birds for his own glory (Psalm 148:5, 7–10); that he provides them with food and shelter (Psalm 104:10-12, 16, 17); and that all the birds of this world belong to God (Psalm 50:11). God created birds to sing (Song of Songs 2:12), to soar (Isaiah 40:31, Hosea 11:11), and to be tamed (James3:7). Birds provide a source of food (Genesis 9:2, 3), provide a source of wisdom (Job 12:7), and on one special occasion, provided airborne meals for God’s prophet Elijah (1 Kings 17:2-6).

But the most important lesson we can learn from birds is how much God cares. In Matthew 10:29 we learn that God knows when even one sparrow falls to the ground. Think of all the birds in the world, or even in your backyard. God cares specifically and tenderly for each one. So why is that important to know? Mathew 10:31 says, “So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to him [God] than a whole flock of sparrows.” If God cares so much for just one little sparrow, imagine how much more he cares for you!

Not even a sparrow, worth only half a penny, can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it (Matthew 10:29).

To Do

Buy or make a bird feeder and put it in your yard. Watch the birds come to feed. Let each bird that flies into your yard remind you how much God loves you.

Also on this day . . .

1925—The first female governor in the United States, Mrs. Nellie Taylor Ross, was sworn in as the governor of Wyoming.

1933—Construction of the Golden Gate Bridge began.

1956—In the Peanuts comic strip, Snoopy walked on two legs for the first time.

From Betsy Schmitt and Dave Veerman, 365 Trivia Twist Devotions: An Almanac of Fun Facts and Spiritual Truth for Every Day of the Year (Cincinnati: Standard, 2005). Scripture quotations are from the New Living Translation unless otherwise noted.

Today is National Trivia Day.

About 20 years ago two friends got into a friendly argument over who was the better game player. In order to settle the argument fairly the two created their own board game based on answering a series of, well, trivial questions. Eventually they decided they had a moneymaking idea, and the Trivial Pursuit® game was born. At first the game received a less than enthusiastic reception, selling only a few hundred copies when it debuted in 1982. But by 1984, word of mouth took over, and in that year alone, 20 million games were sold. There are now more than a half dozen spin-offs on this popular game, including Trivial Pursuit® Junior.

Trivia has become a national past time. There are websites devoted to trivia of every imaginable sort—movies, books, sports, celebrities, food, animals. There are even books and games devoted to Bible trivia. Considering that trivia often has to do with unimportant, obscure facts, do you ever wonder why we are so obsessed with it?

Well, it is fun. And there’s that certain sense of personal satisfaction when you are the only one who knows which birds have been trained to tend sheep, or what the biggest selling restaurant food happens to be (OK, the answers are geese and French fries). Still, Jesus reminds us that only one thing is truly important—and that’s to make God’s concerns our number one priority. When we fill our minds with God’s thoughts, his desires, and the concerns of his heart, everything else becomes, well, trivial.

He will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern (Matthew 6:33).

To Do

Create a trivia test based on facts about you. Give it to your best friend or a family member. After sharing the answers, make sure to tell that person about the one thing that is truly most important.

Also on this day . . .

1850—The first American ice-skating club was formed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

1896—Utah became America’s 45^th state.

From Betsy Schmitt and Dave Veerman, 365 Trivia Twist Devotions: An Almanac of Fun Facts and Spiritual Truth for Every Day of the Year (Cincinnati: Standard, 2005). Scripture quotations are from the New Living Translation unless otherwise noted.

Today is the Festival of Sleep Day.

It’s probably safe to say that we don’t give much thought to our sleep habits—certainly not enough to devote a day to celebrate sleeping! We all know it’s something we have to do in order to stay healthy. Most of us know that we don’t feel well when we don’t get enough sleep. But that’s about as far as our thinking on the subject goes.

But consider the following facts:

• We will spend about a third of our life sleeping.
• Teens need an average of ten hours of sleep each night—as much as a young child.
• If it takes you less than five minutes to fall asleep at night, you’re sleep deprived. The ideal period of time for falling asleep is between 10 and 15 minutes, meaning you’re still tired enough to sleep deeply, but not so exhausted that you feel sleepy by day.
• Lack of sleep can affect our moods, our performance, and our ability to think.
• The 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill off Alaska, the Challenger space shuttle disaster, and the Chernobyl nuclear accident have all been attributed to human errors in which sleep-deprivation played a role.

Getting a good night’s sleep is important! Jesus knew that. On frequent occasions, Jesus and his disciples broke away from the crowds to rest (Matthew 8:18 and Mark 6:31). And one time, Jesus was sound asleep while his disciples were battling a fierce storm (Mark 4:35-41). The Bible tells us that rest is a gift from God. So before your head hits the pillow tonight, make sure to thank him for a sleep-filled night!

It is useless for you to work so hard
from early morning until late at night,
anxiously working for food to eat;
for God gives rest to his loved ones (Psalm 127:2).

To Do

Try keeping a sleep diary for the next week. Record when you go to bed, what time you wake up, your general mood that day, or any factors affecting your sleep. See what a difference a good night’s sleep makes in your daily life.

Also on this day . . .

1892—J.R.R. Tolkien’s birthday

1888—The drinking straw was patented by Marvin C. Stone.

1924—English explorer Howard Carter discovered the sarcophagus of Tutankhamen in the Valley of the Kings, near Luxor, Egypt.

From Betsy Schmitt and Dave Veerman, 365 Trivia Twist Devotions: An Almanac of Fun Facts and Spiritual Truth for Every Day of the Year (Cincinnati: Standard, 2005). Scripture quotations are from the New Living Translation unless otherwise noted.

Today is Thrift with Flair Day!

Bet you didn’t know that there was a day to celebrate being thrifty! The First Annual National Thrift with Flair Day was created in 2000 to help families who had spent too much money on stuff they didn’t need to make a fresh start on getting control of the family budget.

Actually, that’s not a bad idea. How are you doing in the money department? Maybe you get a weekly allowance. Or maybe you just received some money as a Christmas gift. Whatever your financial situation, this is a good time to consider how you spend your money. Consider the following questions: What was the last item you purchased? Did you really need it? How much money do you save? How much do you give to God as offering?

It’s tempting when you have some money in your pocket to pick up the latest CD of your favorite band, or to buy another pair of jeans before your old ones are worn out. But what happens when you really need something, or the offering plate comes around on Sunday and you have nothing left?

The fact is God has given us everything that we have or own. How we spend our money reflects on how we feel about God. If we put God first, then we will try to honor him with the way we spend and use our money. That means making good decisions about what to buy and when, how much to save, and how much to give back to God. But if we spend money as if we love it more than God, watch out! We’ll be joining the ranks of those people who inspired Thrift with Flair Day in the first place!

As Jesus put it, we can’t love God and money equally. Who do you love?

“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money” (Luke 16:13).

To Do

Celebrate Thrift with Flair Day by making a budget (or spending plan) for yourself. Here’s one simple way to do that. Take three envelopes. Mark one Save, mark another one Spend, and mark the third Give. Then decide how much you plan to put into each envelope on a weekly or monthly basis.

Also on this day . . .

1910—The first junior high school was opened in Berkeley, California.

From Betsy Schmitt and Dave Veerman, 365 Trivia Twist Devotions: An Almanac of Fun Facts and Spiritual Truth for Every Day of the Year (Cincinnati: Standard, 2005). Scripture quotations are from the New Living Translation unless otherwise noted.

Today starts a brand new year! Celebrate!

New Year’s Day is one of the world’s oldest holidays. In fact, it was first observed nearly 4,000 years ago by the ancient Babylonians (that’s a lot of New Year’s Day celebrations!). But it was not always celebrated on the first of January. The Babylonians observed the start of the new year on the first day of spring, as did many other cultures. It wasn’t until much later when the Romans came to power that January 1 was set as the official start of the new year.

The date may have changed, but one New Year’s Day tradition has remained the same—making New Year’s resolutions. Even the early Babylonians marked the start of a new year with making resolutions. But while our modern resolutions tend to be about losing weight or exercising more, the most popular ancient Babylonian resolution was to return borrowed farm equipment!

Almost everyone makes resolutions. Maybe you resolve to read your Bible every day. Maybe you promise to finish all your homework before you go online or watch television. Perhaps your resolution is to be nicer to your brother or sister. Or maybe you have something borrowed that needs to be returned!

New Year’s resolutions are fun to make; sometimes we even keep them. But more often than not, our resolve weakens after a few days. By the time February rolls around, those promises are long forgotten. But before you get too discouraged, there is good news. There is one whose Word you can count on, day in and day out. God’s promises will never change. His resolution will stay strong from January 1 through December 31, each and every year. Depend on his promises to help you keep yours.

Without wavering, let us hold tightly to the hope we say we have, for God can be trusted to keep his promise (Hebrews 10:23).

To Do

Go ahead and make a resolution on this New Year’s Day. Write it down in your Bible and ask God to help you keep it every day.

Also on this day . . .

1735—Paul Revere was born.

1840—The first bowling match in the U.S. was recorded.

1892—Ellis Island Immigrant Station formally opened in New York.

From Betsy Schmitt and Dave Veerman, 365 Trivia Twist Devotions: An Almanac of Fun Facts and Spiritual Truth for Every Day of the Year (Cincinnati: Standard, 2005). Scripture quotations are from the New Living Translation unless otherwise noted.