Hot Air Balloon Day | JOY for Today

(Updated 5.17.2023)

Hot air balloons against blue skies uplift spirits everywhere they fly. This whimsical contraption forces us to simultaneously celebrate our freedom and accept surrender. There is joy in both, Friends, when you choose wisely.

A colorful hot air balloon drawing against a blue sky with white puffy clouds with text overlay that reads: "Hot Air Balloon Day; June 5, 2022; 'Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up.' James 4:10"
Artwork by our niece, age 8. | June 5th Annually


Hot Air Balloon Day Sightings:


Did You Know:

  1. A person was not the first hot air balloon passenger? Three animals were uniquely chosen for the first hot air balloon ride over the French court in Versailles: a rooster, a duck, and a sheep. The sheep tested the effects of flight on land dwellers and the fowl of birds that fly at varying altitudes. All animals returned safely. (Mental Floss)
  2. The Civil War had a balloon Corp? Initiated by President Lincoln, the purpose of the balloon Corp was intelligence gathering advantaged by aerial perspective. The Intrepid was the largest in service.  (Battlefields)
  3. The tradition of drinking champagne after flight had something to do with dragons? Farmers, in whose fields the balloons typically landed, imagined the balloons were dragons and often attacked them with pitchforks. After one of the first successful flights, the balloon passengers offered champagne as a peace offering to the farmers. Today, the tradition continues when balloon passengers are offered champagne at the voyage's end. (Hot Air Expeditions)
  4. Hot air balloons are nearly impossible to steer? You can only control the height of the balloon and not the direction. So, to steer, you go up and down until you find the wind you want and let it carry you where it will. (Reader's Digest)
  5. Hot air balloon festivals are held annually worldwide? Each festival allows operators to talk to the general public and participate in various events like races, evening night glows, and rides. The largest festival is held in Albuquerque, New Mexico, (link to the festival's page) started in 1972 and lasts nine days. (Just Fun Facts)

We'd Love to Know:

Which fact was new to you?

Wolfe Stew Connects

The town where the Mr. and I met is a town that hosts an annual Hot Air Balloon festival. While neither of us have flown in one, we remain fascinated by them. What fascinates us about hot air balloons is their beauty, that they are fueled by a flame, and that you must surrender control and allow yourself to drift. 

Hot air balloons remind me of our faith fight. Each of us is a hot air balloon: beautiful in our uniqueness, powered by God, and in a continual fight against the currents. Contentment comes when you stop fighting against God and allow Him to direct your path (). It is worth noting that a choice to stop fighting God does not mean inactivity or a lack of choice. Quite the contrary. A choice to stop fighting God means actively choosing in EVERY circumstance to surrender to God's direction.
  • I alone choose the course of my life, and I choose to follow Jesus ().
  • I control my interactions with others, and I choose to mimic the way God treats me: God sees me (), cares for me (), and delights in me ().
  • I can say or do whatever I like, but I choose to remember God made me for a unique and specific purpose () to carry out His work () at precisely this time () in precisely this place ().
The truth is God won't choose for you. He directs your path, but you must choose to let Him (James 4:10). And the choosing is made easier when you accept God sees everything from beginning to end (Isaiah 46:10), knows the prosperous plans He has for you (Jeremiah 29:11), and loves you more than you will ever be able to understand (Ephesians 3:19). Live adrift in God's current. Know contentment. Experience joy.

If you need help surrendering control and learning to see from God's perspective, you're not alone! We're with you in this fight, Warrior. To help focus your vision, we've crafted a GROWTH for Today Calendar with daily exercises to improve your "God"sight. If you're ready to train with us, we'd love to have you. Let's set adrift on God currents together. We need you!

We'd Love to Know:

If you've ever been in a hot air balloon.


Hot Air Balloon Inspired Scripture and Quotes 

Verses

  • "For this reason I am reminding you to fan into flames the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands." 2 Timothy 1:6 ISV
  • "He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants." Psalm 104:4 NIV
  • "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up." James 4:10 KJV
  • "Praise the Lord, O heavens! Praise him from the skies! Praise him, all his angels, all the armies of heaven. Praise him, sun and moon and all you twinkling stars. Praise him, skies above. Praise him, vapors high above the clouds." Psalm 148:1-4 KJV
  • "Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth." Colossians 3:2 KJV

Quotes

  • "But the true voyagers are only those who leave / Just to be leaving; hearts light, like balloons, / They never turn aside from their fatality / And without knowing why they always say: 'Let's go!'" - Charles Baudelaire (Goodreads)
  • "The soul, light as a feather, fluid as water, innocent as a child, responds to every moment of grace like a floating balloon." - Jean-Pierre de Caussade (AZ Quotes)
  • "Oh, but my darling, what if you fly?" - J.M. Barrie (Goodreads)
  • "I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be." - Douglas Adams (Goodreads)
  • "I decided to fly through the air and live in the sunlight and enjoy life as much as I could." Evel Knievel (Quote Findr)

We'd Love to Know:

Which verse or quote would you add to your hot air balloon?

Hot Air Balloon Day Activity Suggestions

Hot air balloon learning lends well to art and science, which you'll find no shortage of here. 

A sketch of a hot air balloon drifting over rolling hills.
Pencil sketch by our nephew, age 13.


Our Nephew's Suggestions:

Our Suggestions:

We'd Love to Know: 

An activity you would add to our list?

We’re excited to share one more day with you and wish you JOY for Today and HOPE for Tomorrow. Check in next week for...Flag Day!


Fighting the Good Fight with You,

Red stew bowl with steam rising from top. Wolfe Stew crawled on front.

Find even more JOY for Today in our monthly calendars, holiday, and seasonal posts.

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