My Youth Pastor from high school has a blog and sometimes he entitles his blogs "Today I am thinking". In attempt to blog more and to capture what I am thinking today I am going to use his method. I didn't go about asking him....so I hope its ok!

Today I am thinking:
1. That it is super cool that one of my old students asked me to go to his basketball game last Saturday. It was the best Saturday morning that I have had in a long time.

2. That while I was at the basketball game, his father asked if I was going to have kids of my own one day. I smiled and said biological? He smiled back and we continued to watch the game.

3. That Sunday was the best SUPER BOWL EVER! I spend the first part of the day going to an all black church with my boys, followed by some home cooking and some football in the local park in their neighborhood. I spent the evening with my fellow TFA family.

4. That I took my boys on a field trip today and afterward we went out to eat. I am still wondering (I mean their faces said a lot) what all those people thought of me walking in with ten African American Boys. But the best part, was how well mannered they were and how the conversation and laughs continued through the entire dinner.

5. That this Saturday Program kicking off in two weeks is going to impact a lot of families...well I hope at least! There has been a lot of time and effort put into it and I am honored that my principle asked me to design and run it.

6. That my after-school program is draining in a good way. I love that my "babies"( K-6th graders) have somewhere to go besides the streets and I am also SUPER THANKFUL that I am now only at school till 4:30ish and NOT seven thanks to a great servant!

7. That it really does take a village to raise a child. If you don't believe me, come to my school/community that I work in for a day. PLEASE COME!

8. That my teachers assistance (YES we are in compliance this year and I have an aid) is a true example of number 7. Every second and fourth Monday she brings in her combs, brushes and grease and braids (corn rolls) my ten boys hair. She knows their moms do not have the time to do it themselves and do not have the money to send them to a barbershop. It takes her 45mins to an hour for each boy, which makes for interesting teaching sessions!

9. That I am in my last semester of GRADUATE SCHOOL! I have my senior portfolio, my senior thesis, and a extremely difficult web design class. I am thinking it is going to be a hard term, but the reward will be a HOOD and a MASTERS!!!!

10. That I have a fantastic boyfriend who can pull me aside and tell me in a loving way that he supports everything I do, but that I need to slow down a bit so I don't get burned out and sick.

11. Of the 13 million children growing up in poverty, about half will graduate from high school. Those that do graduate will perform on average at an eighth-grade level. AND THAT IS WHY I DO MY JOB!