Phoenix!

Hi everyone, sorry its been a while, but like I said in my last post, there probably wouldn't be that many more 'exciting' things going on from here...we're just starting to settle into a bit of a routine. Let me update you on the past couple weeks. The first week we arrived here in Phoenix the weather was unbelievable (in the 40's--Celsius!), after traveling for so long and a couple pretty intense conferences my body shut down on me and I was sick with a stomach flu for the first week. We really didn't do anything or go anywhere, the only reading I did was Farley Mowat's 'The Boat Who Wouldn't Float'--a comfort book for me and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to laugh. But after a couple weeks now, we've found ourselves into a good routine. Monday to Thursday I am in 'study' from 9am-4pm. This is self directed, but let me give you a brief 'schedule', but understand I am more interested in keeping this fresh and relevant than just pounding through a pile of books--though I do intend to finish many. My mornings are made up of an in depth study into one of the Gospels (Mark), after I listen to/watch a sermon/teaching from a respected pastor or Theologian. Many of my resources for now are coming from 9Marks--you can check them out online, as well as from Desiring God website. My last hour in the morning I try to read about church life, policy, ideas etc. After some lunch my afternoons are spent reading and writing, I try to read for an hour on a current issue (poverty alleviation, missions, culture, nature of man), my final hour of the day I try to write reflections on the day and attempt to grapple with some bigger questions on my mind (on average I'm writing about 5 pages/day). I've really enjoyed this next stage of the sabbatical, I don't know about you, but I am not naturally a good 'reader', I tend to get bored quickly, but I have been able to find new endurance for this, which I am so grateful for. Shonet encouraged me to write about some of my reflections, so I will try to keep my reflections on my readings separate from updates from our lives and excursions--some of you may not be too interested in the reflections--no shame in that. Shonet and Nate have been enjoying the weather and the area--there's a great little park nearby and an outdoor swimming pool that we have been able to enjoy, not one morning goes by without Nate asking if we are going to the park today. We've also discovered a fun little farmers market where we can get fresh fruit for cheap--4 mangos for a dollar! I'll sign off for now, attached are some pics of the home we're staying in, some fun in our neighborhood and a day trip we took this weekend to a place called Canyon lake--this is about a 45 minute drive from where we are staying. I hope this thanksgiving finds you well wherever you are.
Ken