This is National Bingo Month.

You yell, “Bingo!” because you were the first to fill in the squares on your card vertically, horizontally, or diagonally (or the four corners). Winning this game feels good, but you know it’s mostly just luck. Your success in this game is determined by how the letter and number combinations drawn match what you have.

Many people feel the same way about life, that it’s all about luck and chance. Good things happen to a person, they believe, simply because he or she is in the right place at the right time. They believe that’s how bad stuff happens too.

Others say that everything depends on our choices in life. We control our own destiny—everything depends on what we choose to do or not do.

The Bible presents a much different view—God is in control. Nothing happens without his knowledge and his permission. Proverbs 16:9 states, “We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.”

This is wonderful knowledge, especially when everything going on around us seems crazy. Knowing that God is all-powerful and all-knowing gives a great feeling of security.

Remember when you were little and got scared at night? You would go into your parents’ bedroom and sleep with them. You could relax and sleep peacefully knowing that Mom and Dad were with you and would take care of you.

That’s how it is with God. He’s right with you, watching out for you. Your life doesn’t depend on luck—it depends on him. And that’s true on both good and bad days.

But the Lord’s plans stand firm forever; his intentions can never be shaken (Psalm 33:11).

To Do

Watch television news, and during each story think, “God is in control.” Watch how that truth affects your attitude.

Also on this day

This is National Fruitcake Day.

1938—The first snowmobile course in America opened in North Conway, New Hampshire.

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.

This is National Whiners Day.

Whoever made up this day probably did so because of so many people complaining about Christmas gifts. Besides the verbal complaints, this is one of the busiest days of the year for stores because of all the presents being returned or exchanged.

Gifts are supposed to be unexpected and undeserved—just given out of love. But the world tells us that we should expect to receive as much as we give. Advertisers would have us believe that we deserve to receive quality gifts. Then, when we don’t get exactly what we want, we often pout or whine.

The only way to break this bad habit and poor attitude is to remember God’s gift of Jesus and salvation. “God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8). “Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it” (Ephesians 2:9). Salvation is totally free, a gift (Romans 6:23). All we have to do is accept it.

That’s the most important gift of all. Anything else we receive from parents, friends, or anyone else is a bonus. So today, instead of being disappointed in your gifts and letting everyone know those feelings, adjust your attitude to gratitude. Rejoice in your greatest gift, and be thankful for the others too.

Be content.

Yet true religion with contentment is great wealth (1 Timothy 6:6).

To Do

Today, begin writing thank-you notes for all your Christmas gifts.

Also on this day

This is Boxing Day in Canada and Britain.

1927—The East-West Shrine college football bowl game featured numbers on both the front and back of players’ jerseys.

1982—The Man of the Year in Time Magazine was a computer. This was the first time a nonhuman received the honor.

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.

This is Christmas Day.

The day is finally here. Hopefully you’ve already had a great time of giving and receiving and celebrating Christ’s birth.

But do you really understand Christmas?

It’s all about incarnation. This word simply means “in the flesh,” and it describes what Jesus did. John 1 says that Jesus is fully God and has always existed, and was even involved in creation. But then John says, “the Word became human and lived here on earth among us” (John 1:14). Today’s passage from Philippians puts it even more dramatically: “He made himself nothing; he took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form.”

Imagine that you created a colony of ants in your yard. You love those ants and do your best to protect, feed, and help them. You want to communicate your love for them, but everything you try just frightens them. After all, they see you as gigantic and hear your voice as a roar. So what can you do to get through? Write a big sign? Radio the message? Grab one or two and try to get close to them? They just wouldn’t get it.

The only way to communicate effectively would be to become an ant yourself, to somehow put aside your size, power, and prestige and become a tiny insect crawling around in the dirt.

That’s exactly what Jesus did. He left his heavenly home and put aside the unlimited use of his divine powers and shrunk himself to our size, becoming a mere speck in the vast universe that he had created. He became a baby human.

And Jesus did this because of love—for you and everyone else on earth. That’s Christmas.

Though he was God, he did not demand and cling to his rights as God. He made himself nothing; he took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form. And in human form he obediently humbled himself even further by dying a criminal’s death on a cross (Philippians 2:6-8).

To Do

Take a few minutes and list all the gifts you have received from God, beginning with the incarnation. Then thank God for each one.

Also on this day

1896—John Philip Sousa titled his melody “The Stars and Stripes Forever.”

1914—During World War I, British and German troops observed an unofficial truce and even played soccer together on the Western Front.

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.

This is Christmas Eve.

Yesterday we discussed “The Night Before Christmas,” but now that day is actually here. Do you have all your shopping done or do you have to make one more, last-second trip? And what gifts are you hoping for?

Even though we like to receive gifts, Christmas is all about giving. That’s the whole reason for this holiday—God gave his Son, the greatest gift. So we celebrate his birth, and we honor him by giving gifts to others.

The gift-giving didn’t end in Bethlehem, however. In today’s verse, we hear Jesus talking with the disciples, his closest followers. Do you see the gift he promises to them? It’s “peace of heart and mind.” And notice that this peace differs from the kind they could expect to find in society. It’s deep. It’s lasting. It’s real. Peace of heart involves security and joy. Peace of mind involves understanding and believing that God is real and in control.

Soon after hearing that promise, immediately following Jesus’ crucifixion, the disciples would be scattered and then hunted and persecuted. Jesus knew that he would be resurrected from the dead, but he also knew that he would leave the disciples again and that they would face difficult times in the world. So he promised them peace. He offers us the same gift today.

What a Savior we serve! He just keeps giving gifts. And what an amazing gift this is: peace of heart and mind.

No matter what your life is like and regardless of what you are going through this holiday season, God has a gift for you—his Son, Jesus. Jesus has a gift for you, too—peace. It comes from trusting in him, the Prince of Peace.

I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give isn’t like the peace the world gives. So don’t be troubled or afraid (John 14:27).

To Do

On a piece of paper, make two columns. Label one “Heart” and the other “Mind.” Under Heart, list the feelings you experience that are anything but peaceful (anxiety, fear, and others). And under Mind list the situations or thoughts that threaten your peace (crime, disasters, doubts, and so forth). Then think of how knowing Christ can calm those feelings and ease those concerns. And thank God for his gift of peace.

Also on this day

This is National Eggnog Day.

1818—Franz Gruber of Oberndorf, Germany, composed the music for “Silent Night” to words written by Josef Mohr.

1948—The first completely solar-heated house became occupied in Dover, Massachusetts.

1965—A meteorite weighing about 100 pounds landed in Leicestershire, England.

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.

On this day in 1823, the poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas” by Clement C. Moore was published.

This poem by Clement Moore is still popular after almost 200 years. You probably know it best by the first line: “‘Twas the night before Christmas . . .” A lot of what we think about Santa Claus and the reindeer comes from it. If you were asked to name Santa’s reindeer, for example, you’d probably answer, “Donder, Blitzen, Comet, Cupid,” and so forth—right out of the poem. And everyone can identify with the children “nestled” in their beds, dreaming of Christmas day. But what’s the deal with the “visions of sugar plums”?

Christmas Eve, the night before Christmas, is an exciting time for everyone in the family, especially children. They can hardly get to sleep for all the excitement, wondering what Santa will bring. No wonder they have such weird dreams.

Anticipation. Expectation. Nothing’s quite like it as we eagerly wait for the wonderful event. Besides Christmas, we eagerly anticipate birthdays, vacations, other celebrations and holidays, and incredible reunions with loved ones.

But the greatest event could come at any moment—and it’s also a reunion—the Second Coming of Jesus. That’s right. One of these days Jesus will return, to judge the world and to bring his people home.

The Bible says that we should watch for Christ’s return—sort of like kids on Christmas Eve. This doesn’t mean spending our time looking to the clouds (the Bible also says that no one knows the timing of this great event). Instead, it means that we should be ready. Here’s a question that can help. We can ask: “Is this something I would want to be doing if Jesus were to return today?” We might live differently if we expected Christ to arrive at any moment.

Are you excited and ready? It’ll be better than Christmas!

What I say to you I say to everyone: Watch for his return! (Mark 13:37).

To Do

Get out a copy of Clement Moore’s famous poem and read it aloud for the whole family. If you have a big and cooperative family, you could even act it out together.

Also on this day

In Mexico, this is Night of the Radishes.

1888—Following a quarrel with Paul Gauguin (another painter), Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh cut off part of his own earlobe. Gogh figure!

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.

On this day in 1895, German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen made the first X-ray image.

What’s the first X-ray you can remember? Maybe it was at the dentist’s office to check for cavities in those pearly whites. Hopefully you haven’t had to have a leg or arm X-rayed because of an injury. X-rays are extremely useful if you need them. In a matter of minutes, the doctor can spot a hairline crack in a bone, a foreign object in the stomach, or a problem in a joint. So Dr. Röntgen sure invented an amazing, lifesaving machine.

It’s neat to be able to see inside a person, through clothes and skin. Just imagine if you could make your eyes work that way! In the comics, Superman is said to have X-ray vision, so he can spot criminals as he looks through walls.

God sees all that and much more. He sees inside our minds and hearts. He sees right through to the real person on the inside. God knows what we’re thinking and feeling—our motives and fears, hopes and dreams. That’s why we can pray silently, thinking our prayers to him.

So how does that make you feel? Guilty? Afraid? It can be scary to know that we can’t hide from God. And the Bible reminds us that “God knows all hearts, and he sees [us] . . . . And he will judge all people according to what they have done” (Proverbs 24:12).

Even though he knows all about you, God still loves you and wants the very best for you. And he’s always close! Also, as today’s verse reminds us, God continually looks for those who trust him and want to follow him. Is that you?

God looks down from heaven on the entire human race; he looks to see if there is even one with real understanding, one who seeks for God (Psalm 53:2).

To Do

Ask your mom or dad if they have any X-rays in the house (perhaps in an old medical file). If you can, put one in your room where you can see it to remind you of God’s unlimited knowledge and constant care.

Also on this day

This is Abilities Day.

1882—Thomas Edison created the first string of Christmas tree lights.

1958—The “Chipmunk Song” reached #1.[TMD1]

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.

On this day in 1620, the Mayflower landed at Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts.

What would it take for you to pack up all your belongings, leave your home and way of life, and make a dangerous journey to a distant land?

For those travelers from England about 400 years ago, religious freedom was their reason. They knew nothing about the land we now call America—no maps, travel brochures, Internet, or newscasts. It was vast and mysterious. And they didn’t have huge ocean liners or airplanes that could transport them safely and comfortably in a matter of hours. No, they had ships of dubious safety, and they had to endure many days of dangerous ocean travel. But that just shows how important it was to them to have the freedom to worship God as they wanted. They risked everything!

Even today some people still do not enjoy religious freedom. Christians are beaten and even killed in China, Indonesia, Pakistan, Sudan, Iran, and many other places simply for following Christ.

In America we have no official religion and we can worship Christ freely. In fact, most of our cities and towns have many types of churches in beautiful facilities. We can find a worship service of almost any style that we like.

Yet we often take this freedom for granted, sometimes not going to church because we’re sleepy or the weather’s bad or we just don’t feel like it. Don’t you wonder what those pilgrims would have said about that? What about the people in other lands who desperately seek fellowship, worship, and Bible study?

Thank God for your freedom of religion, and freely worship him!

But the time is coming and is already here when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for anyone who will worship him that way (John 4:23).

To Do

At church this week, make a list of everything you appreciate about your church—the worship service and the other programs—and thank God for each item on the list.

Also on this day

This is Humbug Day.

1937—Walt Disney debuted the first full-length animated feature in Hollywood, California—Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

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.

On this day in 1928, mail delivery by dog sled began in Lewiston, Maine.

Way before the Internet, letters were hand-written and hand-delivered. And if you lived in the country off a snow-covered road, you’d have a tough time getting your mail. If you were expecting only a pile of bills and ads, that might be OK. But if you depended on the postal service to deliver important documents or letters from someone you loved, you wouldn’t be satisfied waiting till spring. And think how you’d greet the mail-delivering dog sled driver! You see the sled in the distance—beautiful! You throw on your coat, hat, boots, and gloves, and run to meet the dogs and driver. It would make your day.

Today’s verse sounds funny because we don’t usually think of feet as beautiful. Isaiah isn’t saying that the person’s feet are physically attractive. When he writes, “How beautiful . . . are the feet of those who bring good news,” he is highlighting what the person is bringing—good news. It would be like you living in the Maine boondocks and seeing the dog sled saying, “What beautiful dogs!” because they were bringing you essential letters.

In this case, the good news on the mountain is God’s peace and salvation. Those words would sound good to anyone, but especially to the people of Israel who had been living as conquered captives.

These days we aren’t living in an occupied land dominated by a foreign dictator. But people are captive in other ways—to sin and to Satan. So God’s message of freedom is wonderful, welcome news. And get this—God has given us, his people, the great privilege of delivering that news. We don’t need dog sleds; we just need to tell others about Jesus when we get the chance.

When we do that, we’ll have beautiful feet!

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns! (Isaiah 52:7).

To Do

When you put on your shoes over the next few days, think of how beautiful your feet are when you deliver the good news about Christ.

Also on this day

This is Games Day.

1606—The Susan Constant, Goodspeed, and Discovery set sail from London. Their landing at Jamestown, Virginia was the start of the first permanent English settlement in America.

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.

This is Oatmeal Muffin Day.

Yesterday was cookies, and today it’s muffins. What is this, baking week?

Most kids probably would say that oatmeal muffins don’t sound too appetizing. They think of oatmeal as a bland and mushy breakfast cereal. Besides, oatmeal muffins are probably good for you, right? That means they must taste bad.

You’ve been down this road before—being told about something you should eat, even if it doesn’t sound very tasty. Certain vegetables, liver, and bran all fit in this category. For some kids, eating those foods is like taking medicine. But at least with medicine you see results. The benefits of eating the right foods may not be seen for many years.

That’s why you eat in faith. You pop those brussels sprouts in your mouth, trusting that what your mother, father, or grandparents says is true. You know they love you and want the best for you (and they have more experience and knowledge), so you grimace and eat.

We can face a similar situation in relation to God. The Bible explains that certain experiences and actions are important for our spiritual health—like telling the truth even if it hurts, admitting when we’re wrong, spending time every day reading the Bible, befriending the unpopular kid, praying for our enemies, and so forth. They may be hard to swallow, like an oatmeal muffin, but we do them anyway, in faith. God loves us, so we can trust him to give us only what’s best for us, even if it seems distasteful at the time.

That is why we live by believing and not by seeing (2 Corinthians 5:7).

To Do

The next time your mom or dad tells you to eat something because “it’s good for you,” say “thank you,” and eat it without complaining. When they get over the shock and ask why you had such a good attitude for a change, explain that you are “eating by faith.”

Also on this day

1777—General George Washington led his army of about 11,000 men to Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, to camp for the winter.

1887—Jake Kilrain and Jim Smith fought in a bare knuckles fight that lasted 106 rounds and 2 hours and 30 minutes. The fight was ruled a draw and was halted due to darkness.

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.

This is Bake Cookies Day.

Yum! Yum! Nothing beats Christmas cookies right out of the oven. Which ones are your favorites: Gingerbread men? Peanut blossoms? Sugar? Shortbread? Spritz? Jam Thumbprints? Pecan Tassies?

If you’ve ever made cookies, you know the steps. First you get all the ingredients together. Next, you mix them in the right order (dry first, and then wet). Then you form the cookies. Finally, you bake them. Then you’re ready for the best step—you eat them.

But have you ever bitten into a cookie that was half-baked? Not too good. They have to spend time in the oven, just the right time, to be perfect.

Not only does heat help us prepare food to eat; but heat also helps make steel, form diamonds from coal, and remove impurities. The Bible uses that last one as an illustration of how believers can grow strong in their faith.

We can experience many kinds of “heat” in life. Persecution is one kind. That’s when people make fun of us or even try to hurt us because of our faith. Another kind of heat involves the challenges of living, like the pressure you feel in school before a big test and when you have to make an important decision. Heat can also come from life’s troubles—sickness, setbacks, injuries, broken possessions and relationships.

Life’s heat can help us become all that God intended. The heat can remove impurities, like purifying gold. It can make us strong and durable, like in forging iron and steel. And it can make us appealing and tasty, like a Christmas cookie.

So instead of running from troubles or whining about them, look for what God is doing with you in his kitchen.

For everyone will be purified with fire (Mark 9:49).

To Do

Ask a parent or older sibling to make cookies with you. Then make special ones for the family and a few dozen more to give to people in the neighborhood. Use the experience to remind you of God making you just right.

Also on this day

1898—A new automobile speed record was set at 39 mph.

1936—Su-Lin, the first giant panda to come to the U.S. from China, arrived in San Francisco, California. The animal was sold to the Brookfield Zoo in Illinois for $8,750.

1965—Kenneth LeBel jumped 17 barrels on ice skates.

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.