Saturday, November 19, 2011

Grateful, We Gather: A Prayer of Thanksgiving

I was glad to see Jenny pick a Thanksgiving theme for our Saturday Centus today, because my life is full of blessings for which I am grateful. The prompt is "We gather together to ask the Lord's blessing," a hymn that originated in the Netherlands and is likely based upon Psalm 100:4-5.

Whenever I think of gathering, the first thing that comes to mind is family, for mine is a particularly warm and wonderful one. The second thing I think of puts family in a larger context and is expressed in the final line of my poem today.

∞§∞


We gather together to ask the Lord's blessing,
for richly He's blessed us, in years now gone by.
The warmth of our hearth and the love of our family
are more than good fortune; they're gifts from on high.

Beside us to guide us, His hand reaches o'er us...
protecting, directing...our good He secures.
No matter the storm or the tempest that threatens.
in Him are we anchored, and safety endures.

With love do we praise Him and ever extol Him,
our Rock and our Anchor in days that are past.
We trust Him today, and we'll trust Him forever,
until at His feet, we are gathered at last.

∞§∞

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often would I have gathered
thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens
under her wings, and yet would not" (Matthew 23:37).

***
first picture is by Norman Rockwell
last two pictures are by Greg Olsen
at

31 comments:

  1. anitamombanitaNovember 19, 2011 at 11:03 AM

    So pretty. I've been singing that hymn all day!! Hope you have a wonderful weekend...and Thanksgiving, of course!

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  2. 21 WitsNovember 19, 2011 at 11:30 AM

    Heavenly, and so perfect for this time of giving thanks and sharing our blessings with all...that first photo of yours from Norman is one that I see as my main vision for every Thanksgiving table I make....may you always be blessed and have a glorious Thanksgiving day with all your loved ones too!

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  3. ChristineNovember 19, 2011 at 11:44 AM

    lovely and perfect words of assurance

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  4. StacyNovember 19, 2011 at 11:47 AM

    Love it!!!! I love this hymn. Have a great week.

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  5. Brian MillerNovember 19, 2011 at 12:06 PM

    smiles...yes the larger family as well...we have much to be thankful for as there are many in the family that have much less...so cherish your fam...i know you do...and have a wonderful Thanksgiving Sue!

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  6. RobinfromCANovember 19, 2011 at 12:58 PM

    Love this... Now it will go through my head all day. Not a bad thing.

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  7. AmesNovember 19, 2011 at 1:04 PM

    Beautiful Sue! Our Lord God is looking down on you and smiling, for you have a gift of writing the word that pleases him so!~Ames

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  8. UnknownNovember 19, 2011 at 1:18 PM

    So appropriate for this week!

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  9. Dazee DreamerNovember 19, 2011 at 2:00 PM

    I love that song. Thank you for sharing it with us.

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  10. Jocelyn ChristensenNovember 19, 2011 at 2:19 PM

    That first photo has long been a favorite of mine (second one too!)

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  11. yayaNovember 19, 2011 at 4:33 PM

    Love the pics and the poem is perfect for the holiday! Thanks! I love the first pic and I laughed when I saw it. For the first time I realized that Jack and I are now the Gramps and Granny serving the turkey!

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  12. Rawknrobyn.blogspot.comNovember 19, 2011 at 4:37 PM

    Your poem offers much comfort. It's a blessing of its own. Thank you, Sue.
    Have a wonderful holiday.
    xoRobyn

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  13. karenNovember 19, 2011 at 4:54 PM

    I love that song - so simple and sweet. Your verse was, as always, so perfect. You have a way of expressing things that I feel in my heart, but are hard for me to vocalize. Beautifully done!

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  14. JudieNovember 19, 2011 at 5:24 PM

    Dear Sue,

    Thank you for centering me.

    With much gratitude,

    Judie

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  15. JJ Roa RodriguezNovember 19, 2011 at 6:52 PM

    Very good post. Very reassuring that Someone up there is watching, guiding and loving us... Love this!

    Happy thanksgiving!

    JJRod'z

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  16. MomzaNovember 19, 2011 at 7:12 PM

    needed this today, thanks Sue!

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  17. Welcome to the Garden of EganNovember 19, 2011 at 8:52 PM

    Beautiful post. I love each of those pictures and I think that song has to be among my very favorite.
    Thanks so much for sharing.

    Happy Thanksgiving week!

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  18. ConnieNovember 19, 2011 at 8:59 PM

    Beautifully written. I love the lines, "The warmth of our hearth and the love of our family
    are more than good fortune; they're gifts from on high".
    Hope you have a fabulous Thanksgiving with your family.

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  19. DarleneNovember 19, 2011 at 9:37 PM

    I found myself singing your words to the old hymn. It really works and I do love it. I wish you had written it earlier and I would have made sure that our mens quartet sang it in church tomorrow. As it is, Dick is singing in our small choir, about six men and six women. They are doing a totally different arrangement of "For the Beauty of the Earth." I'm sure it will be nice, but this would have been so original and I would have made sure that each person had a copy of the lyrics by Susan Noyes Anderson.

    At any rate you can see how proud of you I am. The amazing thing is that you write these perfect gems so very quickly. I just don't know how the words can come to you so spontaneously. They just seem to pour out. When I write poetry, it takes me so long, sometimes days.

    I enjoyed the picures too, so very apropos. All in all an excellent post for the Centus. Bet Jenny will like it!!

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  20. Simple HomeNovember 19, 2011 at 10:40 PM

    Beautiful, beautiful poem!! Loved it :)
    Have a joyous Sunday and a wonderful Thanksgiving too!
    Blessings,
    Marcia

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  21. NonnaNovember 20, 2011 at 8:36 AM

    Gorgeous writing Sue !
    Such a spiritual and inspiring poem...I just love it !!!

    Have a very blessed Thanksgiving !

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  22. 4 Lettre WordsNovember 20, 2011 at 10:15 AM

    Really beautiful, Sue...and so appropriate.

    Have a wonderful week!

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  23. Karen MortensenNovember 20, 2011 at 10:27 AM

    I love this. Those pictures are priceless and your words so comforting. I love how you wove the words to that song into your poem.

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  24. AnonymousNovember 20, 2011 at 11:57 AM

    I love this hymn! Thank you for reminding me of it.

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  25. Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. OlsonNovember 20, 2011 at 4:20 PM

    Love this post! I too feel so thankful and truly blessed. My husband has a Greg Olsen picture hanging in his office. I had to buy it for him because his name is Greg Olson. The vowel makes the difference. lol! We use to get lots of calls. I always knew it was the wrong # when my hubby would say, "I could paint you a picture, but I don't think you would want to hang it".

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  26. cj SchlottmanNovember 20, 2011 at 4:47 PM

    Wonderful, just wonderful. My wish for you and yours is for a Thanksgiving filled with love and peace.

    Namaste.........jc

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  27. LeAnnNovember 20, 2011 at 8:56 PM

    Your post was lovely and your poem inspiring. I loved it all. You are such a gift in my life. You always lift my soul.
    Blessings to you and have a wonderful Thanksgiving with family.

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  28. Grandma HoneyNovember 20, 2011 at 10:45 PM

    Beautiful, Sue.
    I love the last part the best:

    "We trust Him today, and we'll trust Him forever,
    until at His feet, we are gathered at last."

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  29. People Who Know Me Would Say:November 21, 2011 at 4:18 AM

    Just lovely, Sue. It's been one of my favorite hymns since elementary school.

    Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!

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  30. BradleyNovember 21, 2011 at 4:39 PM

    I love this time of year. It's SO wonderful to remember our gratitude towards God. Thanks so much for sharing this.

    Bradley
    MormonMarket.com

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  31. JennyDecember 3, 2011 at 6:01 PM

    I sang this tonight, Miss Sue.

    The melody of the hymn, your lovely and powerful words.

    What a perfect moment you gave me.

    I thank you for that.

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