13 January

Today's the day when in 1957 the first commercially produced Frisbee was made. A company called Wham-O had bought a design for a plastic flying disc called ‘the Pluto Platter' and they released the product with the slightly uninspiring title: ‘The Toy Flying Saucer.' It was not an immediate hit but two years later they renamed it ‘The Frisbee' and sales took off. Now low-flying plastic discs are to be found at almost every inhabited sunny beach across the globe.

The origin of the name ‘Frisbee' is a little uncertain, but it probably comes from the ‘Frisbie Pie Company' whose tins were used at the time by students for a similar game. (Presumably with tins it was also a more dangerous game!). In the film Back To The Future III one of the characters throws a metal pie dish at a gunman to save Doc Brown's life and he notices the dish is stamped with the words ‘Frisbie Pie Company.' So it looks like the film-makers agree with this story.

The Bible is full of people and places whose names had special meanings and origins. Jacob was so-called because he was born grasping his twin brother's heel; his name means ‘he grasps the heel.' Moses' name sounds like the word for ‘drawn out' and you'll remember that he was drawn out of the water of the Nile by the Pharaoh's daughter. But the best name of all is that of Jesus. His name means ‘The Lord saves' or if you like ‘God to the rescue.' When an angel appeared to Joseph and told him that Mary was going to have a child this is what he said:

She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.

When you are tempted to sin, or feel like a failure because you gave in to temptation, remember Jesus' name and why he came: to save you from sin.