In 1958, the U.S. launched its first satellite, the Explorer I, into space.

A year after the Russians had launched Sputnik, the world’s first satellite, into space, the United States countered with its own earth-orbiting satellite. Weighing only 31 pounds, the Explorer I satellite was launched into space aboard a Jupiter-C rocket. The entire country waited for 90 long seconds to hear the fate of the satellite. Finally, a tracking station in California reported, “Goldstone has the bird.” The launch was a success; America had entered the Space Age.

The country had been reeling ever since the Russians had first successfully put a satellite into space. No one knew exactly how to react to the knowledge that a man-made (and specifically Russian-made) object was possibly spying on America as it circling the earth every 90 minutes. The idea made people nervous and a bit scared.

Today, the idea of man-made objects circling the earth is commonplace. In fact, many homes have satellite dishes designed to collect signals from space so we can watch hundreds of different TV channels. The idea that someone is “watching us” from outer space is no longer the threat that it once was. But it is true that someone is watching us from the heavens—God.

The Bible tells us that God sits on his throne in heaven and looks down on all of his creation. Nothing happens on our planet that God does not see or know about. But rather than fill us with dread as Sputnik did, this knowledge should make us feel secure that God knows every last detail of our lives. He is in total control of everything that goes on around us. And that’s 24-7, not just an occasional pass around this earth of ours.

The Lord looks down from heaven and sees the whole human race. From his throne he observes all who live on the earth. He made their hearts, so he understands everything they do (Psalm 33:13–15).

To Do

Check out a satellite tracking site on the Internet to see how many satellites are orbiting the world at any given time.

Also on this day . . .

1797—Composer Franz Schubert was born.

1990—McDonald’s opened their first restaurant in Moscow, Russia.

1981—Singer Justin Timberlake was born.

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 1790, the first official lifeboat was tested at sea.

The birthplace of the lifeboat was at the River Tyne in northeast England. The mouth of the river, which opened onto the North Sea, was extremely dangerous. As one sailor described it, the entrance into the harbor was “very narrow, with dangerous rocks on one side and a steep sand bank on the other, with a hard shoal bar across, where the waves of the sea frequently run very high.” In other words, it took a very skilled seaman to safely navigate a sailing ship into the harbor.

After one particularly devastating shipwreck, where more than half of the crew lost their lives as the townspeople watched helplessly on the shore, a local businessman decided something had to be done. Nicolas Fairles organized the institution for “The Preservation of Life from Shipwreck” and offered a reward for anyone who could design a boat that could rescue sailors in the worst conditions at sea. Henry Greathead took the challenge, and it was his design that became the model for the lifeboat. Greathead’s boat, called the Original, was first tested in 1790 on the open sea, and it became a true lifesaver.

Today, we have many devices designed to save lives—seatbelts, safety caps on medications, smoke detectors, fire extinguishers. But the greatest lifesaver is neither a boat, nor a restraining device, nor anything we can hold or see. It is a name—Jesus—the only name that anyone can call upon and be saved forever. The Bible tells us that without Jesus we are lost, dead in our sins. Jesus alone, through his sacrifice on the cross, offers us complete forgiveness for all our wrongdoings and saves us for all eternity.

Now that’s a real lifesaver!

“There is salvation in no one else! There is no other name in all of heaven for people to call on to save them” (Acts 4:12).

To Do

Buy a pack of LifeSavers® candy. Hand them out to your friends and tell them about the real lifesaver, Jesus!

Also on this day . . .

1487—Bell chimes were invented.

1798—The first brawl in the U.S. House of Representatives took place. Congressmen Matthew Lyon and Roger Griswold fought on the House floor.

1847—The town of Yerba Buena was renamed San Francisco.

1882—Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32^nd President of the United States, was born.

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 Puzzle Day.

Celebrate National Puzzle Day and have fun doing the Word Search below. Look for the following names of famous Bible characters in the puzzle below. Remember words can be horizontal, vertical, or diagonal, backwards or upside down! Have fun!

Can you solve the mysteries of God? Can you discover everything there is to know about the Almighty? (Job 11:7).

Also on this day . . .

1843—William McKinley, 25^th President of the United States, was born in Niles, Ohio.

1861—Kansas became America’s 34^th state.

1900—The American Baseball League was organized in Philadelphia. It consisted of eight teams.

1924—R. Taylor patented the ice cream cone rolling machine.

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 1547, nine-year-old Edward VI became King of England after his father, Henry VIII, died.

King Edward VI was a child when his father Henry VIII died. Expectations were high when Edward VI was crowned. It was hoped that the new king would enjoy a long and successful reign, resolving the religious problems of the day. But Edward died of tuberculosis only a few years after taking the throne, long before any of these expectations could be met. In fact, Edward never ruled the country himself. His uncle, the Duke of Somerset, governed as regent because Edward was so young.

Maybe you are nine years old or know someone who is nine. Imagine being the ruler of an entire country! Imagine your friends and family calling you “King” or “Queen.” A pretty scary thought, isn’t it? But this wasn’t the first time that a young person was named king. In Bible times, Joash was only seven years old when he became king. Unlike the unfortunate Edward, Joash ruled for forty years. At first, Joash got off to a good start. He had a wise advisor, Jehoiada, who helped him to follow God’s laws. But when Jehoiada died, Joash began listening to the wrong advice. Instead of obeying and relying on God’s Word, Joash led his people into evil. Eventually, his own officials killed him.

Both Edward and Joash depended on those around them for good advice. We need to do the same. But eventually we need to begin making our own decisions. As a youngster, Joash knew about God because of his wise helper, Jehoiada. But Joash needed his own relationship with God. We do, too. It’s OK to learn from our parents and our Sunday-school teachers about God, but at some point we need to make our own decision about following God.

Have you?

“Choose to love the Lord your God and to obey him and commit yourself to him, for he is your life” (Deuteronomy 30:20).

To Do

Make a timeline of your personal history. Start with the day you were born. Mark other important events in your life. Put a star on events that were significant to your spiritual growth, such as the day you were baptized and the day you first shared your faith with a friend.

Also on this day . . .

National Kazoo Day

1878—The first telephone switchboard was installed in New Haven, Connecticut.

1938—The first ski tow started operation in Vermont.

1986—The space shuttle Challenger exploded just after takeoff, killing all seven of its crew.

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 1880, Thomas Edison patented the electric incandescent lamp.

Thomas Edison, considered one of America’s greatest inventors, has been credited with ushering in the electrical age with the refinement and development of the electric incandescent lamp—otherwise known as the light bulb. Although people had been using electric arc lights, which produced light by creating an arc of electricity between wires, the blinding glare that these arc lights gave off made them unsuitable for use in the home. Edison came up with the idea of producing light by heating a wire (or filament) until it glowed brightly. While others had come up with a similar concept, Edison patented the first practical electric light bulb, one that used only a small current and that lasted a long time before it burned out.

Incandescent lighting remains the primary way that we light our homes today. Take a walk through your home and count all the light bulbs. You may be amazed to discover how dependent we are on this one single invention.

But just as we depend on Edison’s incandescent lamp to light the way in our home, we need to depend upon another type of lamp to light our path for living. Psalm 119:105 says that God’s word is a “lamp for my feet and a light for my path.” Just as you turn on the light before you enter a darkened room, so you turn to God’s Word the Bible to help you see the right way to live.

Whenever you are confused or wondering about what you should do, read God’s Word to help guide you and light your way.

Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path (Psalm 119:105).

To Do

Think of a Bible verse that has helped “light” your path. Write it down and carry it with you today.

Also on this day . . .

1756—Composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born.

1888—The National Geographic Society was founded in Washington, D.C.

1926—John Baird, a Scottish inventor, demonstrated a pictorial transmission machine called television.

1973—The Vietnam Peace Agreement was signed.

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.

A diamond weighing 114 pounds was discovered near Pretoria, South Africa in 1905.

During a routine inspection at the Premier Diamond Mine in South Africa, a 3,106-carat diamond was discovered. Named the Cullinan Diamond, it weighed 114 pounds and was the largest diamond crystal ever found.

After examining the diamond for six months, Joseph Asscher prepared to cut the enormous stones into smaller pieces. Fearful of how his heart might react to a blunder, Asscher had a doctor stand by as he hit the first critical blow. After nearly shattering the diamond on his initial attempt, Asscher managed to divide the diamond with his second blow—and then promptly fainted. The crystal was cut into 106 polished diamonds, valued at tens of millions of dollars.

The largest of the stones is the “Star of Africa,” which at 530.2 carats is the largest cut diamond in the world. The gem was presented to Britain’s King Edward VII, and can be seen today in the Tower of London with the other Crown Jewels.

Imagine the excitement of discovering such a huge diamond! But do you know that the Bible tells us about something that is even more valuable than the most precious of gems? It’s wise speech!

Speech that is wise reflects God’s love and concern for others. It is sincere and honest. It contains words that are meant to encourage and comfort. A person who uses wise speech thinks about what he is going to say before speaking.

If you have ever been the recipient of cruel and thoughtless speech, you know how harmful unwise words can be. But if the people in your life speak to you with words that are caring and encouraging, you know the real value of wise speech!

Wise speech is rarer and more valuable than gold and rubies (Proverbs 20:15).

To Do

When was the last time you used unwise words? Consider what you can say now to that person to correct the situation.

Also on this day . . .

1788—The first European settlers landed in Australia. This day is celebrated as Australia Day.

1837—Michigan became America’s 26^th state.

1875—George F. Green patented the electric dental drill for sawing, filing, and polishing teeth.

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 Opposite Day.

Think of the possibilities! You run downstairs in the morning and greet your family, “Good night! I can’t wait to go to school. Can we have some yummy Brussels sprouts for dinner? I’m going to do all my homework as soon as I get home. No TV for me tonight!” Then as soon as you pick up your mom and dad off the floor, you can gleefully announce, “Happy Opposite Day!”

The idea behind Opposite Day—where everything you say is the reverse of what you mean—is meant to be fun. But Jesus was totally serious about his followers being the exact opposite of what the world expects. For example, in his teaching that we often call the Beatitudes, Jesus said that God blesses the needy, those who mourn, who are persecuted, and who are gentle and lowly (Matthew 5:3-12). That’s not what the world thinks. Our world says that people who are happy, who have a lot of stuff, who are powerful, and who are protected are the ones who are blessed.

Jesus wanted his followers to know that living for God means being different from everyone else. If we follow Jesus, then what we say and how we act will be different from the world. We will give to others instead of taking from them, help those who don’t deserve our help, and love those who hate us. That’s not easy to do. But in giving up our rights in order to serve others, we will receive everything that God has in store for us.

Compared to the world, every day is Opposite Day when you live for Jesus.

“And so it is, that many who are first now will be last then; and those who are last now will be first then” (Matthew 20:16).

To Do

Instead of being the first in line or the first to grab dessert, do the opposite today and be last!

Also on this day . . .

1858—Mendelssohn’s Wedding March was publicly played for the first time at the wedding of Britain’s Princess Victoria.

1924—The first Winter Olympics was held in Chamonix, France.

1961—President John F. Kennedy presented the first live presidential news conference from Washington, D.C.

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 1848, gold was discovered in California.

John Sutter was a Swiss immigrant who had come to California in 1839 with dreams, not of finding gold, but of building his own private empire. By the mid-1840s, Sutter had built a fort, had 12,000 head of cattle, and employed hundreds of workers. But it was an accidental discovery while building a sawmill that completely changed Sutter’s life—and the nation’s history.

While constructing the sawmill, which Sutter intended to provide lumber for his growing ranch, a glint of something caught a worker’s eye. Gold! At first, Sutter and his men tried to keep the discovery a secret. But by the winter of 1848, whispers of a gold strike had drifted eastward across the country. At first, few people believed the rumors. But when President James Polk told the nation that the reports were true, the gold rush was on!

Thousands of men and women headed to California to make their fortune. Few, however, realized their dream of striking it rich.

The lure of treasure and quick wealth has always been a temptation. In fact, Jesus warned his followers about spending all their time and effort going after earthly treasure. That type of treasure, Jesus said, would eventually be destroyed or stolen. It wasn’t the type of treasure that would last.

Instead, Jesus tells his followers (like us!) to store our treasure in heaven, where it will be protected forever. So how do you store treasure in heaven? By using all your resources—money, time, and abilities—for God’s work. In fact, any time we obey God and do what he wants, we are storing up treasure in heaven!

How much heavenly treasure do you have saved?

“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where they can be eaten by moths and get rusty, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where they will never become moth-eaten or rusty and where they will be safe from thieves” (Matthew 6:19, 20).

To Do

Make a list of your resources. Think of one way that you can use each of those resources to store up treasure in heaven.

Also on this day . . .

1908—The first Boy Scout troop was started in England.

1922—Christian K. Nelson patented the ice cream treat known as the Eskimo Pie.

1985—Penny Harrington became the first woman police chief of a major U.S. city (Portland, OR).

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.

John Hancock, U.S. statesman, patriot, and President of the Continental Congress, was born on this day.

You could never accuse John Hancock of playing it safe. This popular and well-known patriot not only was the first to sign the Declaration of Independence, but he did it with a flourish that none could miss. When it came time to sign the Declaration of Independence, which was an act of treason against England, Hancock remarked, “I’ll sign it in letters bold enough so the King of England can see it without his spectacles on!”

John Hancock was definitely the right man at the right time. At a time when bold leaders were needed, Hancock willingly stepped forward and risked his life for the cause of independence.

Thousands of years earlier, a young Jewish girl had been given a similar opportunity to risk her life for a greater cause. Esther had been chosen as the new queen of Persia. But even in that role, she did not have free access to the king. No one in all of Persia could approach the king without an invitation—or it meant certain death. So when Esther’s cousin informed her of a plot to kill all the Jews in Persia and begged her to ask the king for mercy, Esther’s first response was “I can’t.” But when her cousin pointed out that she was the right person at the right time and place to do so, Esther agreed. Because of her willingness to take a risk, the Jewish people were saved. She, like John Hancock and others, made a difference.

It may not be evident to you, but perhaps God has put you in a special place—at school, in your neighborhood, maybe even at home—where you can make a difference if are willing to take the risk.

“If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. What’s more, who can say but that you have been elevated to the palace for just such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14).

To Do

Think about this: what is the greatest risk you have taken? Ask a parent or an adult friend about the greatest risk he or she has taken.

Also on this day . . .

It is National School Nurse Day.

1849—English-born Elizabeth Blackwell became the first woman in American to receive a medical degree.

1971—The lowest temperature ever recorded in the U.S. was reported on this day in Prospect Creek Camp, Alaska—minus 80 degrees Fahrenheit!

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.

Queen Victoria of England died on this day in 1901 after reigning for nearly 64 years. Edward VII, her son, succeeded her.

Imagine living in a country in which only one ruler had ever been in power. When Queen Victoria died at age 82, it marked the end of an era in which most of her British subjects had known no other king or queen. Her reign, which spanned more than half a century, was the longest in British history.

Having one ruler who governs you for the majority of your life is a strange concept for most of us. We are used to changes in those who govern us and make the laws. We are familiar with presidents and governors and mayors, not kings or queens or princes.

Yet, do you realize you are part of a kingdom that will never end, and you are under the power of a king who will always rule? As a Christian, you are part of God’s kingdom, and Jesus is your king who will reign forever and forever.

What exactly is God’s kingdom? The Bible tells us. First, the kingdom of God is not a place. Jesus told his followers, “The Kingdom of God isn’t ushered in with visible signs. You won’t be able to say, ‘Here it is!’ or ‘It’s over there!’ For the Kingdom of God is among you” (Luke 17:20,21). The kingdom of God was not the powerful government that the people of Israel were looking for. No, the kingdom of God is the rule of God in his people’s hearts. Wherever God’s people are living and obeying his Word, then that’s where the kingdom of God exists. Wherever you go and whenever you share the Good News of Jesus, you are spreading God’s kingdom.

For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17).

To Do

Be a kingdom builder today. Tell one person who lives in your house or goes to you school about your King.

Also on this day . . .

1879—James Shields began a term as a U.S. Senator from Missouri. He had previously served in Illinois and Minnesota—making him the first Senator to serve in three different states.

1984—Apple introduced the Macintosh computer. It was the first computer to use point-and-click technology.

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.