June Fifteenth Has Come Again... Heavenly Father, I thank you for adding another year to my life. Thank you Lord for bringing me to see another birthday! Take all my praise. Receive all my worship.
My birthday is my personal
holiday. I take the day to a whole new level. I love my birthday! I celebrate
me. I celebrate all the “me” there is. I celebrate the many sides of “me.” Hortense,
the imperfect child of God. Hortense, the fun-loving forever young at heart.
Hortense, the serious woman. Hortense, the dancing African girl. Hortense, the
comedian to her loved ones and friends. Hortense, the eternal optimist. Hortense,
the daughter, sister, friend, relative. Hortense, the mother to my children I
did not birth. Hortense, the servant of the living God. Hortense, the spiritual
motivator, who sometimes tell it just like it is, with the hope that
rehabilitation would take root wherever the message fall. Thank you Holy Spirit!
Hortense Duarma Grimes, the visionary for Africa, determined to change the
narrative about Africa where it errs, and striving daily to shift mentality on
the African continent. Hortense, the patriotic Liberian woman on a mission. Servant Hortense, an ordinary woman called by the Lord and assigned an extraordinary task for Jesus. Hortense, the obedient follower sold out to Christ.
It was not always this defined. Thank
God for Jesus and the power of his anointing. Thank you Lord for the privilege of
prayer in the name of Jesus Christ and a Jehovah God who answers prayers!
Now to the other birthday message.
I love music. I especially love to dance. God knows this side of me and I think
he’s working on it still. When I hear good music it’s as if my whole body goes into
dance mood immediately. Secular or gospel, I will dance with the same enjoyment
when I hear songs I like. In my Liberian voice, “dancing that my own ooo.” Yesterday evening, I made a quick run to the store. The overhead music was playing a
song I had not heard in years. Rarely do I listen to secular music at home. I once
used to dance away every Friday evening to oldies and Saturday mornings to
African vibes. That time seems like a lifetime ago. One gets more involved and
patterns evolve, interests change, old habits die and new habits form. Life
happens as we grow older. But, in that store this evening hearing the fantastic voices of Peter Cetera and Amy Grant singing, “Next time I fall in love, uh uh uh uh uh uh, next time I fall in love... it will be with
you,” got me into shaking my head and smiling! Music from the 80s and 70s was what music
is supposed to be. In my opinion, at least. Those words are exactly what I’d
say to my younger self. The self that didn’t always define herself well enough.
The self that did not always know how much one should love oneself. You only
have one life! You only have one you! You pass this way but once! Own your
space and love you. Peter and Amy are so right...next time I fall in love it will
be with me. You have got to love you first. It had better be the same for you. The
Bible says to “love others as you love yourself”. This means to love yourself first and love
others equally. Nothing more, nothing less. Only God should come before you.
Cherish the many facets of you.
Love everything about you. Fix what needs adjusting. Patch up the places age
and wear and tear run down. Keep a level head. Protect your space. Guard the
perimeters of your life. Be happy. Stay happy. Understand contentment. Smile as
often as you breathe. Laugh, and laugh out loud when it is that funny! Create
wonderful memories of life. And you had better PRAY. Know God Almighty. Accept
Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Make space for the Holy Spirit to
infiltrate your mind and thoughts and pierce your heart. Appreciate every day
you are alive. And then PRAY. Pray! If you’ve never prayed before, start today
and right now. Pray more.
My friend. If you’ve followed me
you would know I testify to the goodness of God every chance I get. My birthday
is always testimony galore! I reminisce from where I’ve come and I spring ahead
to wherever the Lord is taking me daily. The journey so far has been fantastic,
to sum it up. Because as for God his way is perfect! This time, next time, all
the time…I fall in love it will be with me, wining over life by the sheer grace
of God. Jesus and I walking together, making life a beautiful journey. I am
blessed. I am blessed. I am so blessed. 57 come on and let’s tackle another 365
days. The world is waiting!
In a few minutes it will be June 15th. Let me go into my prayer chamber and fall on my face, prostrate before my Heavenly Father, in the name of my Lord and Savior Jesus, and welcome 57 years into my existence. Happy Birthday, Hortense! Enjoy every minute. Uh uh uh uh uh uh !!!
I love you my friend. You’re in my prayers.
~Servant Hortense
I WELCOME 50
50! Welcome to my world, Fifty! I hope you are ready for me as I am ready for you, 50. I plan to give you a run for your money. I hope you are ready for a fierce partner. Together lets be fierce! I plan to fiercely live and love. Fiercely worship God. Fiercely serve Jesus Christ. Fifty(ies) I do not plan to sit you out. I intend to dance every single day of my life. Mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually—Oh what a dance it will be.
In the last hours of yesterday, I danced half a century away.
I danced into being the beginning of the second half century of my life. Truth
be told, for a long while I didn’t think I would live to be 50 years old. With
a grateful heart I say, Thank you Lord for keeping all your promises to me.” I’d
been dancing all night; beginning repeatedly with, “I’m Amazed (Brooklyn
Tabernacle Choir). Concluding with one of my favorites, and my theme song for
50, “I Hope You Dance” (LeAnn Womack). I’ve played this song over 20 times this
night. Woohoo!
Several years ago, I made my peace with shoulda coulda
woulda—all my missed moments. Firmly putting all the uglies of life to rest. I
realized no amount of hell or hell bent hearts would make me lose my wonder. I
embrace passion, love, dance, joy, song. I’ve been given a chance to sit it or
dance. Guess what(!) I choose to dance. I agree with LeAnn W. May you never
take one single breath for granted. When you stand by the ocean, please do feel
small. I guarantee you when one door closes God will open another. Just know
that when you give faith a fighting chance, God leaves you breathless! Dream
big for yourself. The path of least resistance wasn’t intended to make you
settle. Take those chances and translate them into captures! This thing called
loving might not always turn out happy. But never, never, not take the chance
to experience love. Whenever you find your heart’s been broken, no matter how
many times…ditch the bitterness. Love comes around many times…God is love! My
friend, don’t you dare sell out—Always reconsider. And because heaven is above
and Jesus Christ resides there…always keep your gaze up! That’s where help is.
My friend, I’ve been given the chance to sit it out or
dance. You know what I’m choosing! I chose to dance. That’s how I began
ushering in my 50th birthday today—dancing.
The Praise-a-Thon of my final Countdown to 50 climaxed with
the song “I Get On My Knees” (Nicole Mullen). I prepared for prayer time by
singing the hymn “My Jesus I Love Thee.” Hymns are my thing, you know. The
hymns transport me into a place of deeper worship. Immediately, I fell face
down on my knees before the Creator of heaven and earth. In thanksgiving, I
honored Jesus Christ for the gift of this milestone birthday. I worshipped God
for who He is. I thanked the Lord for the gift of life—every aspect of my life.
I am blessed that I could welcome my 50th birthday, alone, on my
knees. When midnight rolled in I was laying prostrate before the King of Kings,
welcoming 50 into my world!
I do not intend to sit it out, not once. Life is too
precious. You should embrace your life, too. Join me friends, (and foes too if
there be any out there) and make your life a celebration. Celebrate the
beautiful you that Jesus Christ has made out of nothing. You are here; right
here, right now. And you are a child of God! It does not get any better than
that. Thank you to my wonderful circle of friends, you know yourselves. You
make this journey fun. Thanks to family, loved ones, acquaintances, children of
God, you make life a pleasure. Thanks to those who encourage and inspire me to
continue the work I try to do, you make HortenseInspiration happen. Thanks to
the strangers and the passersby, you too have a place. We are all God’s
children—we need one another more than we recognize.
In closing, let’s each be one another’s keeper. Live large,
and it has nothing to do with means or much. It has to do with heart—live with
a large heart! Love much. Forgive more. Laugh often. Pray always. Don’t you
dare sit it out. Go Dance!
Blessings
galore.
Hortense
Duarma Grimes
June 15,
2014
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