During our annual and traditional Thanksgiving Day festivities, I had much time to reflect on some of the many reasons I am thankful to our Lord.

This year presented some unusual trials, one being that for a period of time, my health had deteriorated to the point that I wondered how much longer God was going to allow me stay on this earth. 

There’s nothing like physical trial to bring one to the point of being cast upon the Lord.

God graciously preserved me through this trial, and yet is still teaching and pruning me because of it.  For that I am thankful.

I am also thankful for my wife and children.  God has wonderfully blessed me with a full quiver of children and a helper who wonderfully enables me to fulfill my God-given purpose.

I am thankful for privilege that I have many times this year of preaching the gospel, and to continually be able to live it out.

And, I am thankful for our Lord Jesus who loved me with an everlasting love, and mercifully chose me to be one of His.

Here are a few pictures of some of the traditions we observe on Thanksgiving Day.

Most years, many contribute various dishes and desserts for this day.  My usual task is to prepare and bake the turkey.  This year, Emily helped me in this effort.

Emily demonstrates how to brush the turkey with butter.

Annie seems amazed at the size of the turkey (this was actually a small turkey for us, only 15 pounds).

Once we gathered around the table, we spent time recounting how and why we were thankful to the Lord during the past year.

Exodus 12:26-27 And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service? That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the LORD’S passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped.

Last week we celebrated a Christianized version of Passover.  We do this most years because it is a good teaching tool to demonstrate how the events of the Old Testament picture what Christ accomplished in the New Testament.

Here the children are gathered as we begin.

Here you can see some of the elements of Passover, including unleavened bread, bitter herbs, the fruit of the vine, and so on.

This year Matthew assisted me by reading the entire Passover story from Exodus.

How thankful we should be that when God brings us before His judgment seat, He will “pass over” our sinful lives because of the blood of His Son, Jesus.
 

Recently we observed Valentine’s Day.  Here is some historical background from George Grant: 

Valentine was likely a third century pastor from the southern Umbrian town of Terni who was imprisoned for his faith during the great persecution of Claudius II. According to a popular legend, he wrote small pastoral notes to members of his congregation on leaves he was able to pluck from a maple tree just outside his cell. These little “Valentine’s cards” expressed his love for the flock, and his desire that they demonstrate like love toward one another. Gradually the tradition grew up for Christians to exchange notes of love and encouragement to one another on this, his birthday.

In our day we have destroyed the spirit of Valentine’s Day by turning into a day of selfishness, self-gratification, licentiousness, and more. 

At our home, we prepared a special dinner and some exchanged some cards of love, affection, and even some humor.

Emily prepares parfaits with strawberries, angel food cake, and whipped cream.

Abigail and Kimmy Joy clean out the bowl of whipped cream.

One of my favorites is simmering on the stovetop: stuffed mushrooms.

Italian stuffed shells is the main course.  Mmm.

Kimmy and Abigail are ready to eat.

The rest of the family begins to assemble.

Kimmy plays the food critic.   She gave it a thumbs up.

About this time each year we break out some puzzles and attempt to put them together.  In my opinion working on puzzles seems to be a helpful discipline to training the mind, plus it helps to motivate all the family members to solve a common problem, putting the puzzle together! 

Puzzles (sometimes known as jigsaw puzzles) have been around since about 1760.  In my family I occasionally worked on puzzles when I was a boy, but my Dad is the real puzzle enthusiast.  It seems like he is always working on one, and they tend to be large.

This year almost everyone participated in putting our puzzles together, even 3 year old Kimmy, who got very excited every time she found a piece.

Here is Kimmy and Annie working on a puzzle.

Emily working on her puzzle.

Some of the completed puzzles.

On the day we remembered Advent, Karen and Kathy (with some help from their younger sisters) prepared a special meal for all.

Our traditional breakfast consisted of apple dumplings.

Dinner consisted of the following:

Hors d’oeuvres
   -Herbed Bruschetta
   -White cheddar and Roasted Red Pepper Cream Cheese
   -Champagne
   -Coca Cola
Soup Course
   -Smoked Salmon Chowder with Sea Trout
Fish Course
   -Spicy Tuna Sushi
Entrée Course
   -Raspberry Sherbert
Meat Course
   -Smoked Turkey
   -Potato Casserole
   -Petite Peas
   -Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls
Dessert
   -Spitzbubens
Cheese Course
   -Cheddar Cubes
   -Jalapeno Cubes
The Perfect Ending
   -Hershey’s Chocolate
 

The cooks consider the menu and preparations.

Abigail helps prepare the apple dumplings.

The final stages.

The table is set with our finest.

The family gathers.

Herbed Bruschetta

Smoky Fish Chowder.

Enjoying the sherbert.

The main course - smoked turkey, cream cheese mashed potatoes, and petite peas.

The Pièce de résistance.

A spitzbuben (shpeetz-booben) is a German layered cookie with jam in the middle.  It is also known as a Swiss and Austrian cookie by the same name. It dates back to the Viennese court of the 19th Century.

Making spitzbubens at this time of the year is a Spangler tradition. 

Ginger is a spice found in the region of Indo-Malaysia.  The root of the ginger plant was believed to have medicinal properties; it would soothe an upset stomach or prevent a cold.  As early as 2000 B.C. Greek merchants engaged in the buying and selling of ginger.

During the 11^th Century ginger was introduced to Europe.  Soon bread crumbs (flour) was added with other ingredients and gingerbread was born.

Gingerbread found wide use during these times.  Ladies gave gingerbread cakes in different forms to their favorite knights.  Different shapes of gingerbread meant different things, such as a gingerbread heart was thought to ward off evil. Crafting gingerbread shapes evolved into a fine art that in Germany making gingerbread became a recognized profession.  German gingerbread makers had exclusive rights to make gingerbread except on Christmas and Easter.  Gingerbread was sold in fairs throughout the country.  In Nuremburg sculptors, woodcarvers, goldsmiths, and other artisans contributed their talents with the gingerbread bakers in the creation of the most beautiful gingerbread cakes to be found anywhere. In England gingerbread was so prized that Queen Elizabeth I would present her guests with gingerbread caste into their likeness.

These traditions were eventually carried over to the New World, and today America is considered to have the most extraordinary gingerbread creations in the world.

At this time of the year the Spangler family has continued this tradition by the making and decorating of gingerbread houses.

Earlier in the week we assembled and baked gingerbread caste into this stoneware mold.

Kathy begins to assemble the baked pieces of gingerbread.

Additional assembly help by Kimmy Joy.

Matthew reviews his work.

Royal icing is mixed and colored to be used in decorating.

Emily and Annie discuss decorating possibilities.

The crew is busy at work.

Even Dad joined in for some of the work.

Matthew decorates the roof.

Karen makes an evergreen tree out of an ice cream cone.

Getting the chimney just right.

Two finished houses, on the left by Kathy, on the right by Matthew.

Emily’s & Annie’s house on the left, Karen’s is on the right.

The gingerbread artisans with their extraordinary creations.

Psalm 33:12  Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.

Today we celebrated our nation’s Independence Day.  We have been blessed as a nation because God was our Lord when it started.  Oh, that we would recognize Him as Lord today.

Watching an air show with vintage airplanes.

Ready for fireworks.

The fireworks begin.  Here are a few pictures.

Click here for a short fireworks video.