5 Tips When Christmas Shopping for Her

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Do you sometimes wonder what to get that special “her” in your life? Hopefully today’s blog will shed a little more light in just what you may have waiting for her under the tree this year.

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*Please be a little patient with me because I need to tell you a little about “her” by first sharing with you what Interior Inspirations is – is not – and what we are learning & experiencing about women, wives, mothers and homemakers through this ministry.

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Interior Inspirations is more than the froo-frooing of a home – (that’s just another expression of decorating up a place!)  It’s so much more than chalk painting furniture, offering delicious recipes, how to create a wall grouping, how to clean out your bonus room in a day, doing laundry with gratitude, or the latest trends in interior design, and so many other “home topics” that we tend to inspire here.

I.I. is not only to inspire the woman who is living in the throws of wifey-hood and/or mommy-hood.  But I.I. is for the married, single, divorced, separated, minimalist, the millennialist, the sentimentalist, the missionalist, (not sure if those last 3 are actually words, but you get the idea…).

I.I. is for “her” who longs to make a change in this world and it be a real change to the glory of God, not a self-made glory. It is for “her” who may not ever think of changing the world, because quite honestly, she hardly has a moment to think about changing the sheets.

I.I. is for “her” who thinks Pinterest is a total waste of time because there are way too many children and their families in Saint Jude who need help, hope and support. But I.I. is for “her” who was raised without a mother or was never shown “how to” be a homemaker and thinks Pinterest is a lifeline in helping her connect with other women who share in her own heart’s burning desire – to create a Home Sweet Home.

I.I. is for “her” who eats, drinks and sleeps non-profit organizations; has her double doctorate degree in Mechanical Engineering, but chooses to live on an urban farm.  I.I. is for “her” who is a physician (specializing in Multiple Sclerosis), a single mom of twin 2 year olds, hired a nanny to help her, and lives with her mother who’s husband was diagnosed with MS in their first year of their marriage.

I.I. is for “her” who lives in Canada and doesn’t wake up to a hot cup of coffee at 6:30a.m., but wakes up at 4:00a.m. because she has to chop the wood, milk the goats and feed the horses, all before 6:30a.m.  I.I. is also for “her” who drives a luxury SUV to take her children to school before going to her yoga class, and I.I. is for “her” who drives a school bus full of 25 kids at 6:00am, before she heads to work and ties on her apron at Lowes.

I.I. is for “her” who is in her 20s and has dreams, but isn’t sure how to start walking in those dreams. And I.I. is for “her” who is in her 60s and finds her greatest joy in mentoring young women to love their husbands and enjoy mothering … every moment of it all! She gets up in the morning to her journal FULL of names and prayer needs of young women who confide in her and know (beyond a shadow of a doubt) she will be lifted up in prayer. Why? Because I.I. knows this 60+ year old woman to be the prayer warrior of this ministry, too!

Each one of the “hers” I have shared with you are some of my clients & friends & I.I. members. And when you do what I do every week … go INTO their homes, INTO their lives, and first and foremost, want to become their friend … you begin to understand (to an entirely new and deeper level) WHY Jesus commanded, not asked, not invited, and didn’t hint around to the idea, but He commanded –

“…you will be My witnesses…” Acts 1:8.

I.I. is all about meeting “her” – the 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 year old woman right where she is, and inspiring her heart in being turned toward HOME – her physical dwelling place; the place where her day-to-day life finds its new beginnings, real restoring rest, plenty of enjoyment and is rejuvenated by it’s warmth. It’s true – there is no place like Home.

I.I. is all about witnessing – (not just in blogs, video, Facebook posts, and Instagramed moments), but His face to face, hands-on, open heart and open ears witness. I MUST be about the mission and purpose of I.I. and I MUST be about it with all the passion, zeal, fervor and favor of God! Because this is what I believe down to the core of who God has made me to be –>

When our churches encourage us to know & believe this: “The world is your mission field. Your work place is your mission field. Your school, your factories, your business offices, your community, your home, your cubical … all your mission fields,” … then I truly believe it!  

And that is why I must be about my Father’s work of getting INTO the lives of women (and men and the family as a whole) and do whatever I can to become their friend, and to help them, to care about what they care about, … whatever it takes so that I can love them with the Love of Jesus. People don’t care how much we know, until they know how much we care.

That is the heart behind everything that has My Interior Inspirations on it. That is the heart behind everything that has mine and Rip’s name on it. And it’s just this – “…you will be My witnesses.”

But here’s what I am finding as I go into women’s lives, (women of all ages and interests), is that there are very distinct characteristics about them all.

For example – if you were to take inventory of any women’s ministry, you will find women of all ages, stages of life, desires, dreams, etc. And when they are “a part” of women’s ministry, they all have their own hopes of what they will “get out of it” – What they will experience and what they will take away.  How they will be either challenged or coddled. Each woman comes with their own ideals and personal sense of “what it is they want” out of women’s ministry. And to each of these women, they are all right in their longings. One may want more in biblical homemaking, and one may want more monthly opportunities to serve the community. Some may crave pre-written and packaged bible study that is video driven and some may want only their bibles, a pen & paper, and a box of tissue. One woman may come just wanting to hangout with other women who love Jesus and talk home, family, friends and work. Where some may desperately call “community” ONLY when women talk theology, biblical doctrine and apologetics. In other words, women are diverse, interesting, and so deserving of being highly valued just as they are, where they are, for who they are – fearfully and wonderfully made!!

But how does any of this have anything to do with,  “5 Tips When Christmas Shopping for Her?”

It’s this.

  1. Stop and think about WHO you are shopping for. What are her interests? Where is she right now in life? Is she sentimental? Is she a world changer? Is she a minimalist? Is she a materialist? Is she a go-gettr’, but tends to put her own needs last? Is she a busy mom, a searching single, a retired grandmother, or a military wife? Think. Just give “her” some real thought and then give a gift that really would bless her or encourage her in some way.
  2. It doesn’t have to cost a dime. So often, it is the gift that was handmade or handwritten that makes for the most memorable gift. A couple came to my shop just the other night with crosses they wanted to know how to distress them because they were going to be Christmas gifts! Loved their longing to give something their own hands and hearts of love went into.
  3. Is there something they need that would inspire their dreams, or encourage their desires? Do they “talk” about a certain aspiration they have, but you know their is some self doubt holding them back? Give a gift that would jump start them in moving forward in faith and giving God their best in that endeavor! It’s NEVER too late to pursue your dreams!
  4. Resist the temptation to just “go get something to wrap and put under the tree.” With a little thought and a little more attention, there are ways to give gifts that will mean the world to the one receiving our gifts. There are ways to give gifts as a witness of Christ’s love, mercy and compassion for them.
  5. HAVE FUN GIVING TO HER!!  Just find the joy and happiness in giving to neighbors, community helpers, family and friends!! Find total excitement in giving, because there is no other time when we are more like Christ than when we give, but more than that…when we give IN LOVE!
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lisa rippy

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