10 years

we celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary on a beautiful warm day. we dropped off the boys with friends and headed out to a park overlooking the ocean and shared our gifts. ryan made a movie of pictures and our wedding vows for me. i put together old letters and pictures from the last 10 years. amazing to look back over 10 years and remember how much we life we have lived together, how we have truly lived out our vows we made with one another 10 years ago. so this is what we said 10 years ago:
"By God's grace and love I enter into a marriage covenant with you, Ryan Jay VerWys. I promise to be your loving and faithful wife before God and all that are present. I will love and submit to you as the church loves and submits to Christ. I will encourage you to develop the many gifts and abilities that God has given you. I will daily lift you up in prayer as you strive to become more like Christ. I promise to communicate with you openly and honestly, seeking to understand before being understood. In easy and difficult times I will walk beside you. I will share in your laughter and your tears. I promise to build with you a spirit filled home where Christ is honored and glorified. I praise and thank God for the gift I have in you. I am honored to be your wife."

So in 10 years we have failed to always listen well and communicate openly or be truly loving. But we started these vows with the words love and grace and that is what has allowed us to love and respect one another to walk together in really difficult circumstances and share in laughter and tears. I know today I am more holy because of my marriage and what I have learned from it each day. I am thankful for my husband and our marriage. Thankful to all those who continue to help us make it work from day to day, with 3 boys, life away from a lot of family, serving in Bellflower, and seeking to love God and love our neighbors. I look forward to the next 10 years!