10 Things You Can Do For Free with Your Kids During Spring Break

For most U.S. students Spring Break is quickly approaching. You know that coveted time where students put away their pencils, books and homework to enjoy a little rest and relaxation. However, for most parents with children 12 years old and younger, finding captivating activities can be a challenge. Especially if the your budget is limited when it comes to activities that require $$$.

If you're looking for creative ways to entertain your child during Spring Break, then why not take advantage of things you can do for free or little money and most likely things found right in your own neigborhood.

So here's a list...

1. Visit your local park and if it has a pond with ducks take along a loaf of bread and feed the ducks. Most people get a kick out of watching ducks hungrily gobble up bread crumbs.
2. Visit your local park and spend a relaxing afternoon together as a family eating a picnic lunch while sitting on a blanket conversing and playing your favorite board game.
3. Go for a leisurely walk and engage the kids in a race to see who can run the fastest.
4. Go get ice cream on a cone and sit and talk while enjoying it.
5. Go play a game of billards (pool).
6. Visit your local library checkout a movie the kids will enjoy, and buy popcorn and other snacks from the dollar store to enjoy while watching the movie.
7. Visit your local muesum and have the kids give you one important detail about a display that interests them.
8. Take a mini day vacation to a town nearest you and visit a site you've not seen before.
9. Visit a local bookstore such as Barnes & Noble and let the kids find a favorite book to read while browsing the store.
10. Pull out your favorite board game and play as a family.
    

These are all things I did with my kids when they were between the ages of 5-12. Kids love their parents' attention and Spring Break is a wonderful time for family fun. Once you get every one involved, the laughing will be contagious and the memories priceless.

Oluwakemi

Taken By Surprise

There are some surprises in life I welcome with open arms, while there are others I wish I had a remote control for.

My boss of almost two years just told me he accepted another job offer. Talk about taken by surprise. I never saw it coming. Now don't get me wrong, I'm genuinely happy for him, because I know it's an idea situation considering he's been telecommuting between Oklahoma and Texas for almost two years. Yet, I genuinely hate to see him go. This individual has not only been my boss, but a mentor in the workplace and a supportive shoulder when I've just needed to vent. I've interacted with a lot of supervisors during my working years, and not everyone is supervisor material. But there are some people who make a positive difference in the lives of their co-workers and my boss has been such an individual.

Although there are still six weeks until he officially leaves, I'm still sad. Working for and with my boss was a joy because we interacted very well. He knew his job, did it well, respected me greatly as an Executive Assistant and allowed me to perform my duties with as much autonomy as needed to effectively support our department. For this I'm extremely grateful and thankful that I was blessed to work along side such an individual.

I continue to feel a myriad of emotions behind this surprise but nonetheless, I wish him well. I only pray that God will bless me to be so fortunate to work with someone else I'll some day consider a great boss.

Oluwakemi

I Know I've Been Changed

Aaah...another beautiful day. As I sit here at the computer writing this entry, I occasionally stare out my bedroom window, watching the branches of the trees sway gracefully in the wind. The sun's shining here in Tulsa, and temperatures reached closed to 60° today. I know I keep saying over and over Lord how thankful I am, but I truly am so grateful to be alive and blessed with all the things God has allowed me to have. It's not always easy being a single mom with the responsibility of raising a child on a single income. Yet I am so thankful in my spirit for the opportunity to be not only a mom but to have a decent job that allows me to provide the needs of my family.

I began fasting again today, planning to do another 7 days. I feel deep within my spirit that there are some additional areas in the my life where I need a breakthrough. My focus in prayer is the healing of finances for myself and my family, family reconciliation and unity, favor in every area of my life which God deems part of His plan for me, and that I might travel to Nigeria in July to be a blessing to those God has connected me with.

Today's workday was a pretty busy one and it seemed to pass quickly. I tried to be very prayerful and mindful of the Lord as I went about my work duties today but what my soul needed was the opportunity to really cry out in prayer, which is what I did when I got home. After I arrived home, I immediately got on my knees in prayer and began seeking the Lord. My soul felt the need to connect with God in every possible way, and as I sit here writing this entry, I think of all the wonderful ways God has blessed me. I know I can never repay Him for His goodness, mercy and grace, but I know that seeking Him in spirit and truth so that He might use me to share His word with others pleases Him.

Don't ask me why, but I feel such a difference on the inside of myself. That first 7 day fast I undertook did something to me. Somehow it changed me on the inside. My soul feels more gratitude and more of a longing to please God instead of myself. All I know is that I need and want the kind of breakthrough in my life that only God can give. For the first time in years, I feel like I've been changed, feel like something new has taken place within me. I feel like some significant changes for the good are about to take place in my life.

"O" has joined me in this fast and we have agreed to seek the Lord together. I pray that upon our completion that God's power will breakthrough in our life like a mighty rushing wind as in the day of Pentecost when the fire of the Holy Spirit fell upon the believers. I'm reminded of God's word that says "Seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you, ask and it shall be given. Because they that seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing."

Have you ever anticipated a thing? You know, that feeling where you can feel that something is about to happen but you don't know what or when. But you know it's about to happen and you anticipate it cause it's a good thing and you've been waiting for it a long time? That's how I feel. As though God is getting ready to do something wonderful, something miraculous in my life, something that I've been waiting for a long time, and now my season has come.

Lord I know I can never repay you for your goodness but I want you to know that I thank you. I thank you in every way for all your blessings in my life and I give you the honor, and the glory because you alone are God.

Oluwakemi

You Are My Joy

You are my joy. Even in my lowest times, you are my joy. Hallelujah ! I awakened to the sound of these lyrics from the song entitled "My Joy" by Tye Tribbet & G.A. off the album "Life". What an awesome reminder that no matter how tough life can get, we can still have joy when we walk with God as our source.

It's 3:15am Sunday morning here in Oklahoma, a cold 35° and daylight savings time is in effect. I always sense within my spirit that whenever I awaken during odd times of the night that God is nudging me to pray. I read my morning bible scriptures and began to pray for those individuals whose names I felt the Holy Spirit laid on my heart. Funny thing about the power of prayer, its power is unaffected by distance.

I've thought much lately about my eldest son "K". He's currently in Iraq doing contract work for the U.S. military. My heart prays for him constantly that God's mercy, grace and love would keep him from every hidden danger while simultaneously blessing him with every good thing. I don't hear much from "K" he's got his own internal issues he's struggling with but I know that God is good and in His timing all things will come to pass even for "K".

I smiled at the sms message I received from my friend "F" who lives in Nigeria. He reminded me that God's love never ceases and that His mercies are new every morning. I'm thankful for the spiritual friendship we have. "F" has been a big spiritual inspiration in my life during the time I needed it most. He's the friend who went the 7day fasting journey with me to break the chains of the gambling addiction that previously held me captive. It feels so good to be delivered. There's an old saying that "people come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime; you just have to figure out which one it is". I now know the reason "F" is in my life...*smiling softly* and I thank God so much for him.

There are times when I ask God, "please Lord show me your love, just make it so clear to me". I smile when I realize the way He manifests His love by putting people in my life who demonstrate it so unconditionally. When the realization hits me that the unselfish actions of another is the awesome power of God's true love for me, I'm touched spiritually; and tears come as I realize His love is so wonderful. Thank you God for always loving me even when I can't quite understand how to love myself.

As I sat in the church service today listening to the sermon my heart was so tender towards the Lord. Pastor preached on the coming of the Lord and how important it is that we be ready in season and out because we know not the day nor the hour when the Lord might return. They showed a video at the end of service depicting a church full of people listening to the gospel being preached and all of a sudden the Rapture took place and many were left sitting in the sanctuary pews looking around in astonshiment. Tears flowed from my eyes as this dramatization touched me deeply. I prayed, Lord help me to be ready for your return.

I invited all the kids and grandkids over today for Sunday dinner after church services. "K" couldn't join us because she wasn't feeling good and took herself to the hospital while I kept the kids with me. She had not been feeling well on last night and had mentioned that she might go to the hospital to get herself checked out. However, when she awakend this morning she still didn't feel any better and decided to go ahead to the hospital. She says the doctor thinks it could be her gall bladder giving her problems. I'm believing by faith that she is healed and that there are no such complications.

However, "E" and "K" did join us for church service and dinner afterwards. It always feels good when the kids are in the house...*smiling softly*. The sound of the grandkids running through the house, fighting over toys, and giggling about silly things blesses my soul so. "K" my eldest granddaughter is so in charge when it comes to bossing the other grandchildren around...*lol*. I laugh as I watch the grandkids all interacting, they often say some of the funniest stuff. It is absolutely a beautiful day here in Tulsa today. Temperatures actually reached 60° this afternoon.

My thankfulness for today: "Thank you God for taking the shackles off my feet so I can dance. I lift my hands and praise you for all that you're doing, all that you're about to do, and all that you've already done".

Reflect upon your blessings today, rejoice and be blessed !

Oluwakemi

The Goodness of God

Isn't God good? His mercy is so awesome and His love never failing. If God has ever done something for you, then you know what I'm talking about.

I awakened this morning thankful that it was Friday. The close of the work week, payday and the reality that I have much to be thankful for. As I lay in bed thinking, my soul began to rejoice in all the small miracles God has done in my life. Those things like: my health and strength and that of my loved ones, keeping my rent paid, having sufficient food in my cabinets, reliable transportation, a decent paying job and working among decent individuals. Perhaps for some, these might not seem like miracles but if you've ever had the experience of struggling with any of these things, you'd understand why I deem them a miracle in my life.

I recently embarked on a 7-day spiritual fast because I needed some real spiritual muscle in my life to get rid of some carnal desires causing me problems. I'm a firm believer that alot of the problems in our human lives are spiritual and that a good dose of fasting and prayer can alleivate most of the things we struggle with.

My problem was gambling, and believe me, it had a strong foothold in my life. As a single mother, gambling is not a vice you want to become addicted to. I saw gambling as a demon in my life and indeed it was because its grip was destructive and it impacted every aspect of my life.

So many times before I had cried out to God with tears begging Him to please remove every desire to gamble from the depths of my soul. However, time and time again, when pressures overwhelmed me, I'd succomb to gambling as a outlet to deal with life's pains.

But on February 24, 2008, I wanted something different. I wanted to be delivered once and for all from the demonic grip of gambling and I knew that it would take drastic measures on my part. Somewhere in my spirit, I felt God had just been waiting on me to want deliverance so bad that I would be willing to take my deliverance by force.

I remembered reading in the scriptures in Mark 9:14--29 about the father who had a son possessed since childhoold. The father brought his son to Jesus' disciples seeking his son's deliverance, but the disciples were unable to cast the demon out. When Jesus showed up on the scene he asked them what all the fuss was about and the boy's father explained that the disciples could not cast the demon from his son. Jesus replied to the father "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me".

When the boy was brought before Jesus the demon immediately began to torment the boy and Jesus asked his father "How long has this been happening to him?" and the father replied "since childhood." Jesus said to the father "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." Immediately the father cried out and said with tears "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief !" Jesus spoke to and rebuked the unclean spirit, and after the spirit put up a fight, it came out of the boy. After this miracle of deliverance the disciples asked Jesus in private why they could not cast out the spirit in the boy. Jesus replied "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting."

This one statement "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting" is what encouraged me to get desperate about my deliverance from the demon of gambling. I knew within my spirit that gambling had been with me since childhood because gambling is a root that existed in our household when I was a kid, and my parents still gamble to this day. But I knew that if I really wanted deliverance, truly wanted to be set free, I'd have to fast and pray to show God that I meant business about being delivered.

I'll tell you, fasting is not an easy thing to do because your flesh doesn't like being deprived of food. But after you get past the third or fourth day, your flesh understands completely that you are the master of the bodily temple. God knew my heart, heard my plea seeking deliverance, and didn't allow me to fast alone. Instead he sent a friend to go the 7 days distance with me. I thank God so much for such a friend. Having such friends in your life who are willing to go on a spiritual journey with you because they want you to have all of God's goodness in your life, is yet another of God's blessings.

God is good and He's good in so many ways that it'd take me many more pages to tell of His goodness in my life. I know this deliverance was more than just deliverance from gambling. It was a deliverance from the sins in my life that had so easily beset me.

I'm feeling better these days and much closer in my walk with God. I know that He has a great plan for my life and my blessings will overtake me. My prayer continues to be "Lord, help me freely share your goodness in my life with all I encounter". Nobody has to tell me because I know without a doubt, God is good all the time and all the time God is good.

Oluwakemi

My Nigerian King

Hmmm....I ponder within myself how best to begin this topic, as it seems to have so many avenues because love is involved....*smiling softly* Just who is this person I deem my Nigerian King? Well let's just say he's an attractive, loving, and beautiful Nigerian brother who holds the keys to love's door within my heart.

I first met my love "O" October 2006 via the internet. Yes, you heard me correctly, via the internet, and our relationship began as just casual chat, getting to know one another. Although when "O" and I first began our chats, he was going through a difficult time in his life due to the death of his mother. I did my best to encourage him during this loss in his life. My sympathy and kindness towards him seemed to strength our relationship immensely, and we soon began talking almost daily.

When I first began chatting with "O" it never crossed my mind to begin a long distance intimate relationship. Besides I was seeing someone locally in Tulsa. But the local relationship soon ended on a bad note due to the individual finding interest elsewhere. Heartbroken, I turned to "O" who seemed to be right there loving and comforting me.

There's something incredibly beautiful about Nigerian men. If you capture their heart, they can make you feel like a true African Queen. I began to realize that my interactions with "O" were beginning to become more than just a friendly chat with a new friend. It wasn't long before he began speaking to me in ways that made me feel cherished, loved, adored and cared about. It didn't take much for me to give "O" my heart.

The next thing I knew, I've got a marriage proposal. Something I've never before been asked in my life. Yeah, I'd been married before but no one had ever asked me to marry them. Besides something about "O" was different. He seemed confident, sure of what he wanted, and he always made it clear, aside from God, that my love and companionship in his life was what he wanted most.

Well I accepted the long-distance marriage proposal, and in July "O" sent me an engagement ring and we both decided that we'd consider ourselves husband and wife until we could be legally married in God's sight. We spent as much time as we could together via webcam, telephone calls, text messages and Yahoo chats. There were days when it took everything either of us had to not cry and complain about loving one another so and not being able to physically touch. But our prayers and love for one another sustained us through some of the worst times.

Now don't get me wrong, long distance relationships have just as many challenges as a physical relationship if not more. "O" and I have had our share of ups and downs, as well as many "breakups" due to frustration and mis-communication. But our breakups where never really long term, more like a temporary cooling off period to sort things out. You see "O" and I both are pretty headstrong and outspoken; so you can image the combustion in this type of relationship.

But you know, if I had to do it all over again, I'd still choose "O" as my husband. Why? Because despite the differences of opinions, challenges and obstacles we have encountered on this journey of love together, we both realize that we truly love one another. We both believe that our union is destiny and that we will have a tremendous testimony to share with others about God's goodness in our lives.

I've never in my lifetime met, interacted or loved a man the way I love "O". I feel that God personally sent him into my life as evidence of the way that He loves me. "O" isn't perfect but he's everything I've wanted in a man. He loves and knows the Lord and has an intimate relationship with God. "O" is kind, thoughtful, loving, sensitive, strong, assertive, independent and a hard worker. The thing I love about him most is the way he takes charge as a man but yet loves and respects me as his Queen.

"O" and I have many dreams we desire to fulfill together and we continue to trust God to give us the desires of our heart. Things are very different in Abeokuta, Nigeria than they are here in Tulsa, Oklahoma and everyday my husband struggles to meet even the basic needs. However, he's a Nigerian man, and Nigerian men are very resourceful, proud and go beyond measure to provide for their loved ones. I'm thankful to have such a husband, who despite his sufferings in such a poverty stricken country, gives his all to me as a loving husband.

It's been 1 year and 5 months now since "O" and I have remained in contact, and 10 months since we both said "I do" virtually. We'll see one another for the first time in July of this year and that anticipation alone keeps the fire of our love burning deeply. Our chats continue pretty much daily, along with visual interaction via web cam. I love this man just as deeply as he loves me, and I continue to thank God for the wonderful gift of my Nigerian King and his awesome love for me. Whenever I reflect on the meaning of the Yoruba name "O" gave me "Oluwakemi--God loves me" my spirit rejoices because I know that God truly does love me.

Oluwakemi

Who I Am

I have seen so much hype about blogs and it seems most everyone has one. Therefore, I decided to join the cause and find out what all the excitement was. They say in the blogging world one can write about anything and others will possibly be interested. Well let us see how true that really is as I begin by sharing a little about myself.

I decided to call my blog Designed2Bless because I believe God created (designed) me to be a blessing to those I encounter on this journey called life. Whether my blessing is a kind word, a friendly smile, a needed hug or material assistance, I know He designed me to be a blessing. In fact, about a year ago a Nigerian acquaintance of mine, gave me the Yoruba name "Oluwakemi", which means..."God has blessed me" and truly He has blessed me in so many ways.

I am a single mother of four wonderful children who are all grown. Well just about, my last child is a senior in high school. I am also grandmother to five beautiful grandchildren of who are two tough little boys and three independent little girls. I have lived in the glorious state of Oklahoma for 46 years and have never traveled outside the U.S. I am the eldest of six siblings, two sisters and three brothers and I do not own a dog.

For the most part, life is good and I feel blessed, no matter how rocky life gets at times. I have been married and divorced twice. The first was for seven years, and the second was for 15 years. I guess according to the rap artist "Webbie" I could be described as "INDEPENDENT". You know...."got my own house, got my own car, work two jobs, I'm a bad broad"...*lol*.

As a Christian, I attend church regularly. Given all I have been through in my life, I cannot afford NOT to serve God. I first began my relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ when I was about 12 years old. My walk at times has been a struggle on my part, but I am so glad God is not a man in that He would judge me harshly and give up on me. Instead, His love and unfailing grace have brought me through so many of life's encounters. His mercy has taught me how to be truly merciful with others and to realize that life could always be worse no matter how bad you think yours is.

As far as how I make my living, I am an Executive Assistant to a Vice President within a local college, and I love my job. It has its days like any other job but overall it is a good place to work and grow a career. In my spare time, I maintain my personal website Designed2bless.com that for now promotes my Blog entries. I've got some ideas churning in my head to possibly branch out into offering a product or service via my site....so stay tuned; but for now just come along with me on the journey to become better acquainted with me.

Until we "blog-meet" again, may the Lord watch between you and I and keep us safe.

Oluwakemi