Sandi Hester

Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.  Mark 10:9

This last weekend Grady and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary!!!  We went away to a really neat Christian retreat/bed and breakfast place called White Stone Inn.  We LOVED it and will be back!!!  The only thing I told Grady I wanted to do on our 10 year anniversary was to renew our vows to each other.  There was a very important part of our vows that I purposely left out of our wedding – the whole part about submission and obeying!!!  At that point in my life I cringed at the thought of submitting to anyone, much less a man.  Over the last several years the Lord has really opened my eyes and heart to submitting, obeying and being a helpmeet to Grady.  The Lord has done some HUGE stuff in our marriage that has just been a gift from God.  So for our 10 year anniversary I really wanted to stand before Grady, God, and a witness and make the covenant vows that I left out of our wedding – so that’s what we did.  I just pictured us sitting on our beds one night saying our vows to each other, but Grady had other plans :).  White Stone Inn has the CUTEST little chapel on their property and Grady arranged for a pastor to be there Sunday night.  We got all dressed up – me in my wedding dress and Grady in his tux and we renewed our vows to each other.  It was the most precious night!  Those of you who know me know I’m not a weepy person, but I had to stop a couple of times when I was saying my vows because I couldn’t read what I had written.  The pastor asked me if I cried the first time…  I didn’t.  It was a very precious night and we even have pictures!  The night before we renewed our vows there was a wedding in the chapel so when we went in there to do our vows the church was all decorated for a wedding!!!!  It was just perfect!

Before I get to the pictures though, I thought I would share what I vowed to Grady that night – you guys can be our witnesses and accountability partners :)…

“Grady, I love you.  I am confident that God has chosen you to be my husband.  Therefore, I stand before you, this pastor, and God to recommit these vows to you.  Grady, I live my life following Christ.  I will obey Him in loving you, obeying you, caring for you and ever seeking to please you.  Therefore, throughout life, no matter what may be ahead of us, I pledge to you my life as an obedient and faithful wife.  Christ told us that the wife must submit herself unto her own husband as unto the Lord.  For as Christ is Head of His Church so is the husband head of his wife.  Grady, I submit myself to you.  God’s Word also tells us that He created woman to be man’s helper.  It is my desire to follow this scriptural teaching.  With all my heart I make this pledge to you.  It is my prayer and desire that you will find in me the helpmeet God designed especially for you.  And finally, I promise my faithfulness to you.  Together may we grow in the likeness of Christ and glorify His holy Name.  Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”

 Grady was excited to hear these words again, “And you may now kiss your bride!”

Here are a couple of quick sketches I did over the weekend…