He's Here!

I am excited to (finally) announce the arrival of our sweet baby J! He was born on June 5th at 2:55 am, weighing in at 9 lbs, 3 oz. 

Some things came up and we had to deviate from our plan to give birth at home, so he was born at a nearby hospital. Thankfully, it was a decision that was made about a week in advance, so I had some time to wrap my mind around it! (Also glad it wasn't an emergency transfer in the middle of labor and birth!) It ended up being the best decision, as some of the events surrounding my labor were not conducive to the gentle labor and delivery I hoped for. (I will share more about his birth in the coming weeks). I absolutely believe and know that God had His hand in all of this, and of course as always, He knew the end from the beginning and was guiding each decision. 

I ended up with a postpartum hemorrhage and needed a blood transfusion, so I probably spent an extra day in the hospital being monitored, etc. We came home late last week, and we are adjusting well. Baby J is doing great and is even almost back to his birth weight (as of his check up yesterday, he was an ounce away, so he is growing and feeding well). 

Last night was my first night of somewhat decent sleep (hooray!) so I thought I'd give a quick update. I have not been online much, since I've been focusing on recovering and of course caring for the new baby...plus sitting at the computer is not the most comfortable right now! Hopefully, I will be able to get back into the swing of blogging in the coming weeks.

What have you been up to?

How to Serve Others without Leaving the House

I am happy to present to you my very first guest post! I connected with Jenni probably close to two years ago (around the time I started blogging!) and have found her blog to be encouraging and inspirational. To learn more about her, read below. 

Anyway, I was excited when she shared with me what she would be writing about- I'm 37 weeks pregnant tomorrow and currently leaving the house only if necessary! So, I trust that these tips will be helpful to you too, no matter what season you are currently in. 

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As a mother of a small child, I often find it difficult to find ways to get involved in ministry. Many opportunities conflict with nap time or bedtime. Often service projects that I could volunteer for are not very baby-friendly. This dilemma has caused me to look into alternative ways to minister to others. Below is as short list of ideas that I have come up with for serving others without leaving the house.

8 Ways to Minister from Home

• Write a letter to a missionary. I know first-hand how uplifting a simple note of encouragement can be while serving in full-time ministry. Knowing that someone is praying for you and has taken the time to let you know can make a difficult day much easier.
• Send flowers to a friend. Those that are ill or going through hard times will appreciate this gesture of kindness. Although, there doesn't have to be a reason for sending a vase-full of cheer. "Just because" is a fun surprise.
• Bake cookies for your neighbors. Share you favorite cookies with a new neighbor. Or ones you know well. Your family doesn't need to eat a whole batch of cookies by themselves anyway! 
• Send a care package to a college student. Being away from home can be tough on a freshman. Include a note of encouragement with their favorite snacks. 
• Donate money to a local homeless shelter. Or donate furniture, clothes, personal hygiene items, Bibles or anything else they need. Many larger ministries will even pick up your donations so you don't even have to leave your house. 
• Send a thank you card to a soldier. Those that serve our country deserve recognition and support from those they are protecting. There are several online projects, such as thanksamillion.org, that you can join. 
• Invite a single adult over for dinner. Singles often feel overlooked and long to connect with people, especially if they don't live near family. Reach out to a young adult who would enjoy a home-cooked meal and fellowship. 
• Sponsor a child. Whether you go through Compassion International or World Vision, you can lend a hand to a needy child just about anywhere in the world. If this isn't in your budget, you can write to a child instead.

I hope these ideas will help you get creative in finding ways to serve others without leaving the house. If you would like to share ways that you have ministered from home, leave a comment below!

About the Author: Jenni is happily married to her best friend and a stay-at-home mama to an active, red-headed baby girl. In her free time she enjoys deep conversations, decaf lattes and diving into a good book. As a writer, she is passionate about encouraging and equipping women to live for the glory of God. Connect with her at JenniMullinix.com.