Cheers to 40 Years Part 2! In It For the Long Haul with Special Guest, Bryan Melton
(Read below or Click Here to Listen to the Podcast)
“But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control.” Galatians 5:22 AMP
Hey friends!
Welcome back to the 3rd Episode of the Sanctuary Stirrings Fall Series.
This week we’re continuing our conversation about the gift of marriage with a man who, by the grace of God, has walked beside me—for 40 years: my husband, the one-and-only Bryan Melton!
And today, September 19, 2026, we are celebrating our 40th Anniversary!
Forty years. Six children. Eight grandchildren and one more on the way. Career changes, moves, joy, laughter, and tears- and a story so messy and so beautiful it could take your breath away.
Should We Still Believe?
A few years ago, we sat around the Thanksgiving table with some of the young adults in our family. As the only couple there still married, we realized they were looking at us and asking:
How did you do it?
There was a little good-natured jeering under their breath, but underneath it, I sensed something deeper: They wanted to know if lifelong love was still possible for them, too.
Our prayer is that these episodes will offer hope and the assurance that it is!
Principles to Stand On
If you joined us last week, you already know our story wasn’t Hollywood. It would never measure up to the Pinterest dating and proposal standards of our day.
But it was something even better--formed in the ordinary--in the foundational principles of life and God’s word. That’s the beauty of it!
We also know that marriage can go terribly wrong. We’ve watched people we love do everything right, and still their marriage disintegrated. Others have lost beloved spouses to calamity far too soon.
Bryan and I know that only by the grace of God have we reached this beautiful occasion.
When you stand at the altar committing yourself to another fallible human being, you do so with fear and trembling. We can’t control the choices another person makes.
But we can tend to our own hearts. We can prioritize our relationship with the Lord. We can stay in church. We can obey His word and the Holy Spirit's nudging when we get off track.
And we can pray for ourselves and our spouses. Always pray. Never underestimate the power of prayer.
So, click here to join us for Part 2: In It For the Long Haul
We're picking up exactly where we left off—with my roommates giving me five minutes to call Bryan back … To the un-Pinterest-worthy proposal (which may or may not have included a Burger King parking lot)…to the things we’ve learned about building a life together.
After you listen, we'd love to hear from you.
What lifelong relationships are you grateful for?
What lifelong relationships are you grateful for?
Where have you watched God work through the quirky, imperfect, beautiful story He has given you?
Resources Worth Noticing:
Missed Part 1 of this conversation? Click here to Catch Up: Cheers to 40 Years, Pt 1: The Gift of Marriage
A Little More Room For Us: 100 Devotions for the Empty Nest Couple by Charlotte and Gordy Guest
Worth Remembering:
“A happy marriage is the union of two good forgivers.”
Ruth Graham Bell
So True! --
Keep loving and forgiving
Your fellow pilgrim,
Lori
P.S. Join us next week for the final part of our conversation as we talk about one of the most beautiful gifts we've discovered in lifelong marriage: walking out the Lord's callings together … and the story of how The Sanctuary at Bear Creek was born.
Because, as Ecclesiastes reminds us, two really are better than one.