một, hai, ba ...

Maiden Voyage

 

Beckham with his cousin Grace (5 yrs. old), headed out to sea...

(with several adults spotting of course... in knee deep water... for those of you who already think I'm a crazy Mom :-)

Travel travel travel.

In the middle of city #1 out of 4 in the next couple weeks. South of LA right now at Catalyst West Coast conference. Tomorrow morning I'll be sharing the stage with Naomi Zacharias - her father Ravi spoke this afternoon - and Jeannie Mai; two incredible women who are also involved in fighting sex trafficking.

On another note, some amazing things happening with a particularly violent case we've been working against in South Asia - details and prayers over at www.ijminstitute.org WIsh I could give more specifics, but we have to keep things secure so that the operation can continue to full success.

Missing my boys a ton... trying to keep the right perspective while I'm away from them multiple times over the next weeks. Be fully present where I am, trust the Lord to care for our family, and be fully present when I am home. And not fear. Fear not... my watchword. I always appreciate your prayers for us, especially as we have so much on our plate as a family right now. Hope to post some fun pics soon.

Nostalgia

Every now and then  - or, quite often - I love to remember France. Anthony and I spent some time there a few years ago (including a few days with his parents), and there's just something about the country, and certainly Paris, that awakens me a bit, fills my senses, gets my imagination churning. I'm convinced I'd be a better and more prolific writer if we lived there from time to time :-) But perhaps photos and memories can be effective too...

Four photos from the archives:

       

Travel Wreck

It has been a ridiculous month of work travel. I hereby authorize any and all of my blog readers to hold me accountable to never committing to that amount of travel again. It just tore me apart, and noticeably impacted little B. too.  Ugh.

Of course the trips were fruitful, but it was just too much.

Rounding-Out and Gearing-Up

Had a truly refreshing time last week at the Catalyst Conference - even more so than expected. Very fruitful, and my mind has been spinning for days with new ideas and desire to innovate.

Had a wonderful past couple of days just being home with Anthony and Beckham. Breakfast with Ben and Ainsley Arment in Atlanta before heading home, coffee on Sunday with Joy Eggerich and her wonderful parents (founders of Love&Respect ministries), naps during Beckham's naps (haven't tried that one in forever - A MAZ ING), and impromptu lunch today with my brother's family. Love watching our kids together, especially now that Beckham can literally run around everywhere exploring.  Great afternoon and evening at home, and then a late-night glass of champagne in our kitchen with Kelly Cotter, celebrating her passage of the bar exam.

And now, to bed.

But look for some really fun photos and videos of Beckham from our family time galavanting at playgrounds and in our yard these past couple of days. Life with little B could not be sweeter.

JerseySnore

Turn your volume up high for this little snippet of snooze, Beckham style.  We traveled to New Jersey this past weekend to be with Anthony's extended family for a celebration of his grandmother's life (she passed away in May).

Coming Soon...

Hopefully tonight:  Update on my travels from the past week. It was an incredible whirlwind.  And a total heartbreak to be away from Beckham. I planned to blog every day, but every moment was packed and I barely slept.  Definitely unexpected, but great.

All blogging energy over the past week went toward launching the new IJM Institute and writing for the Willow Creek Leadership Summit - you can check out both of these at www.ijminstitute.org and http://wall.willowcreek.com/nextSteps/index.asp

On the Leadership Summit page, you'll find them selling a audio download of me preaching. Also, I served as a Guest Blogger responding to Gary Haugen and Chuck Colson - if those posts are not up on Willow's site yet, they should be very soon.

Let me know what you think!

Now... back to Beckham :-)

This one's for you, Daddy...

Beckham had a LOT to say tonight - here's just a brief blurb.  I'm pretty sure the "dadadDAdada"s translate "I miss you Dadadah!"

Doxology du Monde

Anthony is at a government conference down in New Orleans (Nawlens...) this week. Last time we were there we were putting shingles on a roof in 100+ degree weather post-Katrina and loving every minute...

Anthony wrote me this fun little note from the French Quarter after breakfast:

"I just ate three beignets and drank coffee at Cafe du Monde... As I was wrapping up, I heard a horn player outside just begin his performance with the Doxology...he played through twice, pointed his horn towards the sky as he faded out the last note...and then he lifted up his arms and shouted "Praise the Lord."

Am I sensing a theme here?

Over the next week you may notice two things happening here on my blog:

1) Beckham photos popping up as much as possible as I cathartically prepare for and endure my first extended travel without him. If you are reading this, please begin praying for us (mostly me, I'm sure) now!!

2) Repeated references to IJM first official blog... it's going public mid-week!