Mended Vessels

what to say — Ever worry about what you’re going to say in a crucial moment? I sure do. I’m heading to a writer’s conference this week, with some anxiety about being effective when I pitch my story idea to agents and editors. But there are other times I feel inadequate about expressing my […]

What to Do When You’re Speechless

18 Sep, 2017 in Devotionals / Faith / Life / Love / Marie Wells Coutu / Mended Vessels / Questioning God / Such a Moment / Trust tagged Christ / Faith / For Such a Moment / God / Holy Spirit / Jesus / Marie Wells Coutu / speaking / Truth / worry by mcoutu

Like hundreds of thousands of others, we spent much of the weekend waiting for and watching the progress of Hurricane Irma. We’re safe in Iowa, but we have many friends in Fort Myers and other parts of Florida, and we’re concerned about our winter home there. I think the waiting may […]

Waiting for Irma

11 Sep, 2017 in Devotionals / Faith / Joy / Life / Marie Wells Coutu / Mended Vessels / security / Waiting tagged Christ / Faith / For Such a Moment / God / Hurricane Irma / Jesus / joy / Marie Wells Coutu / Mended Vessels / prayer / Trust / Waiting by mcoutu

Eclipse crowds — Are you one of the millions of people in the path of totality for the eclipse today? Is there a crowd where you were, or did you watch it with just a few people? In my hometown of Hopkinsville, Kentucky–one of the sites with the longest duration of totality–some hundred thousand […]

One of the Crowd

21 Aug, 2017 in Crowds / Devotionals / Eclipse / Eternity / Faith / Life / Marie Wells Coutu / Mended Vessels / Such a Moment / Trust / Truth tagged crowds / Faith / For Such a Moment / God / Iowa State Fair / Jesus / Marie Wells Coutu / Mended Vessels / Solar eclipse / totality / Trust / Truth by mcoutu

Samoyed by water — The dog went on an adventure the other night and wound up in the lake. Our son’s family was visiting for the weekend, the stars were out, and meteor showers were predicted. We live a couple miles outside town with few lights around us, so the night sky view is […]

Jumping into the Dark

14 Aug, 2017 in Devotionals / Faith / future / Life / Marie Wells Coutu / Mended Vessels / security / Trust tagged Christ / Faith / For Such a Moment / God / Jesus / John 12:35-36 / Marie Wells Coutu / meteors / night / stars / Trust by mcoutu

"But I don't want to" — This weekend we took care of two grandchildren without their parents. It’s not the first time, but it was the first time we’d had the three-year-old granddaughter along with her older brother. Her favorite two phrases seemed to be, “I want” and “I don’t want.” Whether it was food or candy, […]

‘But I Don’t Want To’

7 Aug, 2017 in Authority / Devotionals / Growth / Life / Marie Wells Coutu / Mended Vessels / Patience / Such a Moment tagged children / Christ / Faithfulness / For Such a Moment / God / Jesus / Marie Wells Coutu / obedience / Sacrifice by mcoutu

Riding — A town on wheels, moving across the state of Iowa and stopping in a different location every night for a week. It’s called RAGBRAI (Register Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa), sponsored by the Des Moines Register, and my husband is participating this year for the second time. An estimated […]

Rolling Along-Until the Bumps Come

24 Jul, 2017 in Devotionals / Eternity / Hope / Life / Marie Wells Coutu / Mended Vessels / Persistence / Such a Moment / Time / Trust tagged Christ / Faith / For Such a Moment / God / hope / Jesus / Marie Wells Coutu / RAGBRAI / Trust by mcoutu

Freedom — As Americans, we take our freedom for granted. Independence Day, the 4th of July, is one day when we can remember the hard-fought Revolutionary War that eventually won that independence from Britain. But now, nearly two and a half centuries later, the holiday is more about cookouts, boating, and fireworks. […]

Forever Free

4 Jul, 2017 in 4th Of July / Devotionals / Faith / Freedom / Holidays / Life / Marie Wells Coutu / Mended Vessels / Such a Moment tagged Christ / Faith / For Such a Moment / Freedom / God / Holidays / Independence Day / Jesus / Marie Wells Coutu / Mended Vessels / Truth by mcoutu

Nothing ever occurs to God. — “Has it ever occurred to you that nothing ever occurs to God?” Our pastor threw out that little nugget as a side comment in a sermon on faith, and it stuck with me. There are no surprises for God. He’s not sitting around thinking, and then gets a brainstorm: “Hey, […]

No Surprises

24 Apr, 2017 in Devotionals / Faith / future / Marie Wells Coutu / Mended Vessels / Peace / Questioning God / Storms / Such a Moment / Trust tagged Faith / For Such a Moment / God / Marie Wells Coutu / Mended Vessels / Trust by mcoutu

Spring training baseball — Baseball is back. Spring training has begun and once again we can enjoy the sunshine, warm breezes, and fresh air while the “boys of summer” play their games. Some people find baseball boring, while others love the strategy and the thrill of seeing a home run or an amazing play that […]

Put Your Heart Into It

6 Mar, 2017 in Baseball / Devotionals / Faith / Life / Love / Marie Wells Coutu / Mended Vessels / Such a Moment / Trust tagged baseball / boys of summer / Christ / consistency / Faith / For Such a Moment / God / heart and soul / life / love / Marie Wells Coutu / Mended Vessels / unfailing love by mcoutu

Weeds — Just over a month ago, I bragged on Facebook about finally getting shrubs and flowers planted to landscape our three-year-old home. Then we were gone for a month for a mission trip and vacation. We returned to find a forest had engulfed our house that would require the entire Narnian army to slice […]

Weeds Thrive on Neglect

15 Aug, 2016 in Devotionals / Discipline / Faith / Growth / Marie Wells Coutu / Mended Vessels / Such a Moment tagged Faith / For Such a Moment / God / Jesus / Marie Wells Coutu / Mended Vessels by mcoutu