Today is the anniversary of the first Postage stamp.

In 1840, Britain issued the very first postage stamp. It bore the profile of Queen Victoria and was known as the “Penny Black” because it was printed in black and cost a penny. Before the advent of the postage stamp, the person receiving the letter was the one who had to pay for the delivery costs. Since the rates were so high, many people refused to accept the letters. In fact, some people developed secret codes that they put on the outside of the letter to get around the high costs of postal service. The intended receiver could look at the code, get the message, and refuse delivery of the letter.

Because of this, the British post office decided that postage had to be paid before the letter was delivered. The payment was marked by a small piece of colored paper on the outside of the letter—the stamp! The idea was so popular that the United States adopted the same system, and in 1847 the U.S. Post Office printed its first stamps, a 5-cent stamp picturing Benjamin Franklin and a 10-cent stamp picturing George Washington.

Did you know that you have been stamped? It’s true. The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit is our guarantee, our stamp, that we belong to God and that we will receive all his benefits (Ephesians 1:13, 14). Because we bear the stamp of the Holy Spirit, we know that salvation is ours, and that we will live forever with Jesus in heaven.

The best news, though, is that the Holy Spirit’s stamp is not only the pre-payment of all that is promised to those who believe in Jesus. Right now Christians we have the power and the comfort of the Holy Spirit living in them. We can depend on the Spirit to guide us and enable us to live as God wants us to while we wait for Jesus’ return.

By his Spirit he has stamped us with his eternal pledge—a sure beginning of what he is destined to complete (2 Corinthians 1:22, The Message.)

To Do

Create your own personal stamp that reflects what your faith in Jesus means to you.

Also on this day . . .

1915—Babe Ruth hit his first major league home run while playing for the Boston Red Sox.

1994—The Chunnel officially opened. The tunnel under the English Channel links England and France.

1997—The Bee Gees were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

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 Cinco de Mayo.

Cinco de Mayo (which means the fifth of May) is one of two days that celebrates the independence of Mexico. Although Mexico’s official independence day is el Dieciseis de Septiembre (September 16^th), Cinco de Mayo is also considered a day of great importance. On this day, a vastly outnumbered, untrained, and poorly equipped Mexican people defeated a much stronger and more powerful French army.

Today, it has become a popular holiday in the United States. People mark the day with fiestas, parades, mariachi music, piñatas, and of course, lots of great-tasting Mexican food. At its heart, Cinco de Mayo remains a day to celebrate the Mexican people’s courage, culture, and freedom.

While holidays like Cinco de Mayo are wonderful opportunities to remember important events in a nation’s history, they also are a great reason to have a party and have fun!

Ezra knew that. The people of Israel had just finished rebuilding the city walls of Jerusalem. Now it was time to restore the people’s faith, so Ezra and others spent several hours reading God’s Word to the people. The people wept as they heard God’s Word, realizing how they had strayed from obeying God. Yet Ezra reminded them: “Don’t be sad! Now is the time to celebrate.” Ezra sent the people home to “celebrate with great joy” because they had heard God’s words and understood them.

Some people like to think that God is all about dos and don’ts and is just looking for ways to stop us from having fun. That couldn’t be further from the truth. God wants us to celebrate and to be joyful. That’s why he has commanded his people to observe certain holidays and to party!

And Nehemiah continued, “Go and celebrate with a feast of choice foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!” (Nehemiah 8:10).

To Do

Throw a party for Cinco de Mayo and include God in your party by thanking him for the courage and the freedom that he gives to you.

Also on this day . . .

1891—Carnegie Hall opens in New York City with Tchaikovsky as the guest conductor.

1956—Jim Bailey became the U.S. first runner to break the four-minute mile. He was clocked at 3:58.5.

1961—Alan Shepard piloted “Freedom 7” to become the first American in space.

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 Weather Observer’s Day.

Imagine a world without weather forecasters. We wouldn’t know whether to take an umbrella, if we should bring a jacket, or if we need sunscreen. We certainly wouldn’t be able to tell if a dangerous storm was approaching or if we should go ahead and plan that picnic. Such information is critical for people like pilots, farmers, or anyone whose work is dependent on weather conditions.

Thankfully, we don’t have to guess about what the weather is going to be like for the next day or even the next several hours. We can tune in the nightly weather forecast or listen to the radio to quickly find out how to prepare for the predicted conditions. At times, such information can be life saving.

As Jesus was preparing for his return to heaven, he urged his followers to be vigilant. But they weren’t to be concerned about the weather conditions. They were to be looking for a special event—Jesus’ return to earth. More than 2,000 years has passed since Jesus spoke those words, but the truth remains: Jesus is coming again, and as his followers, we need to be on constant watch.

So what does that mean? For one, it means working faithfully at the tasks that God has given you. It means keeping close to God at all times. It means being faithful to pray and meet with God daily, to read his Word, and to be actively doing his will.

Think about it. When Jesus returns, do you want to be caught napping or to be engaged in helping others? The best way to be prepared and vigilant for Jesus’ return is to be doing his work. That way you can “keep a constant watch.”

Keep a constant watch. And pray that, if possible, you may escape these horrors and stand before the Son of Man (Luke 21:36).

To Do

Think of two ways you can “keep a constant watch” so you will be ready for Jesus’ return.

Also on this day . . .

Today is National Tuba Day.

1626—Dutch explorer Peter Minuit landed on Manhattan Island. Native Americans later sold the island (20,000 acres) for $24 in cloth and buttons.

1715—A French manufacturer debuted the first folding umbrella.

1979—The first woman prime minister of Great Britain (Margaret Thatcher) was elected.

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 Tax Freedom Day.

As the saying goes there are only two certainties in life—death and taxes. Taxes, the special fees collected by governments and rules, have been around since Bible times. And the idea of paying taxes probably has been hated just as long.

The first tax mentioned in the Old Testament was a census tax commanded to be paid by Moses for every person 20 years and older to be used for the care of the Tabernacle. Later, when the Israelites demanded to be ruled by kings, the kings (as the prophet Samuel had warned!) began to tax the people to help pay for buildings, armies, and other government projects. Then, as invading countries conquered the Israelites, the foreign kings demanded even higher taxes.

When Jesus was born, the people were paying taxes to the despised Roman Empire. Their coins, which carried Caesar’s image, were a constant reminder that their hard-earned money was going to support Rome. Yet, when the Jewish leaders questioned Jesus about whether it was right for the Jews to pay taxes to Rome, Jesus reminded them that this was money due to Caesar. At the same time, however, Jesus told the people they needed to give to God what he was owed.

Think about that. What do you think you owe God right now? How about your faithfulness, your obedience, your love? What about your time and the abilities he has given to you? What might you owe God there? Just as we are expected and obligated to pay taxes to our governments, we need to “pay” God what is owed him as well. You can even take this a step further. What do you “owe” your parents, your teachers, your friends?

The Bible reminds us that we are to give to everyone what we “owe” him or her, whether it’s respect, time, or our money.

Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and import duties, and give respect and honor to all to whom it is due. (Romans 13:7)

To Do

Make a pretend bill of what you owe God today. Consider how you can “pay up.”

Also on this day. . .

1802—Washington, D.C., was incorporated as a city.

1921—West Virginia imposed the first state sales tax.

1966—The game “Twister” was featured on the “Tonight Show” with Johnny Carson.

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 Sibling Appreciation Day.

Be kind, you say? To my brother? You’ve got to be kidding. You don’t have to live with him! Many of us have a sibling whom we would rather ship off to a deserted island than be kind to. And we may have good reasons—clothes that are borrowed and never returned, nonstop teasing, phone messages that mysteriously get lost. You know.

Sometimes it is hard to get along with those who live in the same house as we do. Did you know that even Jesus had half-brothers who weren’t thrilled to be related to him? In fact, Jesus’ family thought that he was a bit crazy (Mark 3:21) and laughed at him for what he was doing (John 7:3). Later, after Jesus had died and rose from the dead, two of his half-brothers (James and Jude) became leaders in the early church.

Joseph also encountered troubles with his brothers. Of course, some may argue that he brought it on himself by telling all his brothers that someday they would worship him. (Never a good idea to say to a sibling!) Still, Joseph’s brothers reacted a bit harshly by selling him off as a slave and telling his father he was dead. Yet even in those extreme circumstances, we see Joseph and his brothers reunited at the end of the story, and Joseph offering these wonderful words of forgiveness: “God turned into good what you meant for evil. . . . Indeed, I myself will take care of you and your families” (Genesis 50:20, 21).

God has placed us into our families for his purposes. And it is his desire that we get along with our brothers and sisters—no matter how difficult that may be on certain days.

How wonderful it is, how pleasant, when brothers live together in harmony! (Psalm 133:1).

To Do

Be nice to your sib today. Do your sibling’s chores today. Let her wear your favorite shirt. Let him ride your bike! Say something positive about your sib.

Also on this day . . .

Today is the National Day of Prayer.

1519—Leonardo da Vinci died.

1919—The first U.S. air passenger service started.

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 Loyalty Day.

Here’s the situation: you have promised your best friend that you will spend Friday night helping him watch his little brother. Another friend calls and invites you to attend a concert featuring your absolutely favorite band. What are you going to do? Give yourself 10 points on the Loyalty Meter if you said you were going to stick with your best friend; give yourself five points if you had to think about it for more than a minute; and give yourself zero points if you decide to go to the concert.

Loyalty is all about sticking with your friends or family no matter what. In fact, the Bible tells us that the greatest evidence of genuine friendship is loyalty—loving at all times. (Take a look at 1 Corinthians 13:7.) So what does it mean to be a loyal friend? It means sticking by your friend when she is having a tough time at home. It means helping your friend with his math homework when you would rather be watching TV. It means standing by your friend when everyone else has disappeared.

Jonathan and David shared that kind of friendship. You can read about it in 1 Samuel 20. Jonathan knew that his father, King Saul, was out to get David. He knew that being David’s friend was against his father’s wishes. But David and Jonathan had vowed before God to remain friends, and so Jonathan did everything he could to help and support David. Later, David returned that loyalty when he took care of Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth. That’s the kind of loyal friends that God wants us to be.

So, on National Loyalty Day, what kind of friend are you—a fair-weather friend, or one who is there through thick or thin?

A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need (Proverbs 17:17).

To Do

Do you have a friend who has been loyal to you? Take time today to thank him or her.

Also on this day . . .

Today is National Teen Day.

1941—Cheerios hit the store shelves.

1952—Mr. Potato Head was introduced.

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.

Would we lie to you? It’s National Honesty Day!

On the last sale of the day, a woman came into the general store and asked for a half-pound of tea. The young clerk weighed out the tea and handed the parcel to the woman.

The next morning, in preparing to open the store, the clerk discovered a four-ounce weight on the scale. Instantly he remembered using this same scale while selling the woman her tea. She had been shorted by four ounces! The young man quickly weighed out the balance of the half-pound of tea, closed up the store, and delivered it to his customer.

That clerk later became the 16^th President of the United States and was known as, “Honest Abe.” (In February we talked about him and his reputation.)

Honesty is a character trait that we admire in others. An honest person is sincere, truthful, trustworthy, honorable, fair, and genuine. We know we can trust honest friends with our deepest secrets. We know we can depend upon them to show up when they say they will. We know that whatever they say, we can count on them to keep their word. We all want those kinds of friends. We should also be those kinds of friends.

Do you know who else values honesty? God does! In fact, he includes honestly in his top ten rules for living (otherwise known as the Ten Commandments). Number 9 says, “Do not testify falsely against your neighbor” (Exodus 20:16). In other words, tell the truth! Be honest! In Leviticus, when Moses gave the people God’s rules for living holy and pure lives, he said, “Do not steal. Do not cheat one another. Do not lie” (Leviticus 19:11). And Proverbs 11:1 says, “The Lord hates cheating, but he delights in honesty.”

If God delights in honesty, shouldn’t we?

It is better to be poor and honest than to be a fool and dishonest (Proverbs 19:1).

To Do

To celebrate National Honesty Day, thank someone for being honest to you. And make a commitment to telling the truth today.

Also on this day . . .

1789—George Washington took office as the first elected U.S. president.

1803—The United States bought Louisiana from France.

1904—The ice cream cone made its debut.

1988—The largest banana split ever, at 4.55 miles long, was made in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania.

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.

In 1913 Gideon Sundback of Hoboken, New Jersey patented the zipper. It’s also National Zipper Day.

Think what life would be like without zippers. We have zippers on coats, pants, jackets, shoes, and other clothes. And book covers, luggage, briefcases, purses, backpacks, athletic bags, and other cases use zippers. We could find even more zippers around the house and in the car.

Zippers are safe, durable (usually), easy to use, and inexpensive. Without zippers, we’d have to tie or tape everything shut—or use Velcro and put up with that annoying sound all day. So go ahead and let out a cheer for zippers on their special day!

We’ve become so familiar with this clever invention that we use the word in other ways. If your father wants you to be quiet, for example, he might say, “Zip it up!” In other words, he wants you to pretend you have a zipper on your mouth and keep it closed.

Actually that’s good advice to remember, especially if you tend to say the wrong thing at the wrong time, to interrupt, or to go on and on. Your mouth gets you in trouble. It opens, and out pops the word or phrase that you later regret.

Our verse for today says that people can seem intelligent just by being quiet. You’ve probably seen that. You’re having a conversation with a group of kids and one of them (whom you don’t know very well) simply listens and nods occasionally. That kid ends up looking a lot smarter than one who asks silly questions or makes inappropriate comments.

Quietly listening when others speak also shows respect. Too often we jump in with our personal comments and stories. No one likes being interrupted. Listening could be called the language of love.

The lesson? There’s a time to be quiet. And who knows? You might even learn something. So zip it up.

Even fools are thought to be wise when they keep silent; when they keep their mouths shut, they seem intelligent (Proverbs 17:28).

To Do

Today, every time you use a zipper, say a quick prayer, asking God to help you listen more and talk less.

Also on this day . . .

This is also National Shrimp Scampi Day.

1997—American and Russian astronauts took the first joint space walk.

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.

In 1985 the largest sand castle in the world was completed near St. Petersburg, Florida. It was four stories tall!

The sun beating down, bright and hot. A light breeze. Waves lapping against the shore. Cool, wet sand pushing up through your toes as you walk. There’s nothing quite like a day at the beach.

Remember those first seashore visits and sand castle building attempts? Mom or Dad helped you scoop out sand with a plastic shovel and bucket. Then you dumped it and together shaped the pile with your hands into a “castle.” As you got older, you used the tools yourself and built even bigger ones. You may have even built a sand “fort” that you could sit in.

But have you ever seen those huge sand sculptures built by professionals? They’re amazing. The world record sand castle was bigger than a house—four floors.

Whether small buildings made by turning over sand-packed cups, or huge world-class fortresses, all of these sand structures have this in common: they don’t last. Wind and waves quickly wipe them out.

No wonder Jesus used sand to make an important point. He said that building one’s life on the wrong foundation is foolish and like building a house on sand—it will crumble. Instead, we should be wise, and build on solid rock. The right foundation makes all the difference.

And Jesus explained that the only solid foundation for life includes listening carefully to him and then doing what he says. Jesus said that to do otherwise would be foolish: “But anyone who hears my teaching and ignores it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will fall with a mighty crash” (Matthew 7:26, 27).

How’s your foundation?

“Anyone who listens to my teaching and obeys me is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock” (Matthew 7:24).

To Do

Ask someone who is a builder, an architect, or a construction worker to tell you about foundations.

Also on this day . . .

This is National Cracker Day.

1758—James Monroe, the fifth President of the United States, was born in Westmoreland County, VA.

1914—W.H. Carrier patented the design of his air conditioner.

1985—The largest sand castle in the world was completed near St. Petersburg, FL. It was four stories tall.

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 the start of National Volunteer Week.

We see litter on a street and wonder why the city crews haven’t picked it up. We wonder why city government won’t take care of that junky vacant lot, or why some social agency isn’t helping the elderly or the homeless. We hear about nursery workers needed at church and think, “They should hire someone to do that.” Because our government does so much for us, we may assume that someone else should do everything.

But that would be impossible—there are too many needs and not enough money. And that’s where volunteers come in. These are men, women, boys, and girls who pitch in, using their own time and money to make a difference in their neighborhoods, city, and world.

This is National Volunteer Week, but Christians shouldn’t need anyone to remind them to help others. Jesus said that people would be able to identify his followers by their love for one another. And throughout the Bible, God tells us to reach out, especially to the poor, widows, and orphans. You’ll find tons of verses, including the one for today, telling us to serve others.

So look around. What do you see that needs to be done that you could do? Who needs your help? When will you start?

If your gift is that of serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, do a good job of teaching (Romans 12:7).

To Do

Ask your pastor or youth pastor about how you can serve at church.

Also on this day . . .

1965—R.C. Duncan patented Pampers disposable diapers.

1994—Graeme Obree, the Flying Scotsman, set a world bicycling record (52.713 km/h).

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.