jennygrand

[jennygrand]

[jennygrand]

One of my little patients took one of the "therapy beans" and grew this for me. Not only is this completely adorable but the fact that this grew after countless people have had their feet in them and then repeatedly sprayed with cleaner is amazing. If out of this old bean life can grow... There is still hope for me...and literally everyone. #grace

[jennygrand]

This book is changing my life

[jennygrand]

Pink #amaryllis from two of my favorite patients bloomed!

[jennygrand]

A simple lesson on real marriage. From my husband

As this week dissembled all plans of happiness, structure, and perfectionism I found myself bitter, empty, and drained. As a spiritual person, I honestly felt myself attacked and left to wallow in my own defeat. Nothing was going my way. This soon led me down the road in what my husband likes to refer to as "my spaghetti brain" as one wrong thing soon leads to a whole array of other defeats and worries that literally leaves me a wreck. Welcome to my life. Now don't get me wrong, I am not this depressed down trodden person most of the time. But when this happens... it's like the worst "Midas Touch" phenomenon turning everything I encounter a wreck.

Midweek I found myself in a coffee shop getting notes done (because of course our internet decided not to work) My husband comes to find me after work and sits down with me and in a matter or no time we are arguing (well, really just me). 

The night went on, we went to lead our 5th and 6th grade youth group at our church followed by dinner. I sat over dinner in tears; a mess. My perfect vision of life, self, marriage, plans, work, and ministry seemed to be going in the opposite direction as I had been envisioning it the past few years. I finally choked out to Scott, "I'm just so upset. I was looking forward to having this great marriage of showing the world what real love is supposed to look like, not fighting in coffee shops. I wanted to be a great physical therapist and I want to have a family and I feel like I am not or will ever be equipped to do any of that well because I'm such a mess. I wanted to make a real difference in the lives of others but I really don't feel like people take me seriously some days." 

And Scott (seriously bless his patient patient soul) after me being quite terrible all night says, "Jenny. This is real life though. And we are doing it. Things aren't going to be perfect. But we are married and doing this together. You're the person I want to be fighting with in a coffee shop, and talking about hard things over dinner with. This is real stuff. And it's hard. And what you're going through is hard. But I'm here for you, and I'm always going to be here for you. And you're the person I want to make big decisions with, and argue with, and make mistakes with, and love, hold tight at night, and really help people with. It is not always going to be perfect but what we are doing now is real and you are the person I want to go through it all with."

love him

[jennygrand]

‘Being in love’ — is not merely a feeling. It is a deep unity, maintained by the will and deliberately strengthened by habit; reinforced by the grace which both partners ask, and receive, from God.

C. S. Lewis

[jennygrand]

Painting I made today for a friend inspired by The Bruised Reed by Max Lucado #healinghands

[jennygrand]

I could be wrong, but despite his controversy & bad light in the Christian realm lately, I think he hits home in this book intro. I do love his rawness & honesty and I am really enjoying this book in particular at the moment. 

But seriously, can we get an AMEN with that message. 

[jennygrand]

Gospel is the shocking, provocative, revolutionary, subversive, counterintuitive good news that in your moments of greatest

despair,

failure,

sin,

weakness,

losing,

failing,

frustration,

inability,

helplessness,

wandering,

and falling short,

God meets you there-

right there-

right exactly there-

in that place, and announces,

I am on your side.

Gospel insists that God doesn’t wait for us to get ourselves polished, shined, proper, and without blemish. God comes to us and meets us and blesses us while we are still in the middle of the mess we created.

Gospel isn’t us getting it together so that we can have God’s favor; gospel is us finding God exactly in the moment of our greatest not-togetherness. 

Gospel is grace, and grace is a gift. You don’t earn a gift; you simply receive it. You don’t make it happen; you wake up to what has already happened.

Gospel isn’t doing enough good to be worthy; it’s your eyes being opened to your unworthiness and to Jesus’s insistence that that was never the way it worked in the first place.

Being a good person, then, naturally flows not from trying to get on God’s good side but from your realization that God has been on your side the whole time.

Gospel calls you to a major change in thinking, a giant shift in understanding, a massive leap in how you see yourself, otherwise, you’re stuck in the same old points program, trying to earn what is already yours.

Chapter 5, Pg. 135-137

[jennygrand]

Hope Anchors the Soul

Why does it seem today that age seem to bring with it so much loss of hope & life ambition? I see this so much in my daily interactions with people. Just today I was told "oh, Jenn you're so young still, you'll see." As if reality hasn't hit me in the face yet. This was after encouraging a patient of mine to peruse something in life that she loves after just getting fired. Why do people feel like they are stuck in a rut with no way out? When did or does this shift take place? Is it after 30? After having kids? Why do some people just submit to a ho-hem life while others remain in that constant awe of the newness of each day? How do you encourage those around you to live .... really live though? 

  Some tough questions I was wrestling with today that all reminded me of Hebrews 6:19:

  …18so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. 19This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, 20where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

And this passage was brought to life for me in reading "Pure Grace" by Clark Whitten. As he puts,  "Most people are discouraged more than they are strongly encouraged. Image waking up each morning with an irresistible optimism and encouragement about...everything! ... Jesus prayed that we might have His joy and that our joy might be full."

I can say my fullness of joy is actually from Jesus' continuous work in my life, in my heart. I fully anticipate (usually after 10 in the morning ;-) the newness of life and lessons and interactions that I get to experience. I am overwhelmed with the joy & security I have in knowing He is walking it all with me. And when the hard stuff comes, I believe in a God that did not except Himself from human suffering. I know he is there to weep and sit with me when I often cannot find answers on this earth for the suffering & hurt.

[jennygrand]

Patient Trust by Pierre de Chardin. #patience #trust

[jennygrand]

First Year of Marriage Memories:

First apartment & Living together

silvertree apartment 12 in wallingford ct

Starting work at Family Physical Therapy

Starting work at Oxford High School

Date nights as married couple

Learning each other's love languages

Hanging out with the Efstathious

Join Bethany Cov Church

Taking Becky & Missy to NYC to see the musical ONCE

First married Christmas

Our first little tree we bargained for and had a defected back-side

Drum set

Celebrating 25th birthday

My surprise birthday at Piano bar

Ringing in the new year in FL

Passion Conference in Atlanta GA

ENDITMOVEMENT

Celebrating 6 months at the Mumford & Sons Concert in Boston

Chopping my hair

Training in running in a half marathon with Lauren & Bry

Away tournaments with Scott in Boston

Mistic Bed & Breakfast imrpomtu get-away break at Harbor Inn & Cottage

NY Groupon long weekend vacation fail

Bridal Veil Falls in PA

House Hunting

Buying our first HOME!

Move in Day with with Family

Celebrating our anniversary on a Norwegian Cruise to Bermuda

Celebrating 1 year

paper gift (scott's- map & frame; jenn's dry erase message board)

cooked chicken parm

scott worked late

cake fight

danced on feet

[jennygrand]

1 YEAR

I cannot believe 1 year has already gone by. It has definitely FLOWN but we for sure have cherished these past 12 months being newlyweds. I remember that crazy amazing feeling walking out of the church after just being pronounced husband and wife. It was awesome. I has no idea that it was really only the beginning of an amazing year and life. I am completely flawed by how much of a loving person Scott is to me and literally every one he comes across. He makes me a better, more loving person each day. We are so amazed by how much we have grown and experienced together this first year. Joy & struggles alike, I cannot think of a better partner & truer friend to walk through it all in.

[jennygrand]

cheers to one more work day before our getaway! #secondhoneymoon #bermuda

[jennygrand]

Everything I am and want to be is for His Kingdom's cause. I have come to realize I don't have all the answers and don't pretend to. I have, however experienced the living God is a wildly real and personal level and it has literally changed everything about my life. #baptism #2yearsagotoday #grace

[jennygrand]

Perfect day!