New author shares five tips for showing love this holiday season

Dec. 19, 2011 - PRLog -- FRISCO, TEXAS – Valentine’s Day gets all the credit as the holiday for love, but Christmas is the ultimate example of what love truly is, says Stephanie Icy Lewis, author of the newly published Experiencing True Love, available as an ebook on Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com. Her new book details her journey to true love and helps others on their journeys.

“Christmas is about God’s love for us in that he sent his son to be born of a woman and to live among us,” says Lewis, who also runs Full Gospel Kingdom Ministry with her husband, Pastor Deryck Lewis. “Christmas is the perfect opportunity for us to take some time to reflect on what that means and to put love to action in our own lives.”

While the holiday season is a time of excitement and joy for many, it is a time of sadness for others, Lewis says. In fact, mental health professionals report an increase in reports of depression and hospitals and police departments say this is the time of year that sees an increase in suicides and suicide attempts. Remembering that not everyone is happy this holiday season and then sharing God’s love with them can help ease some of that loneliness, depression, and angst.

Five tips for showing love this holiday season

If you know of a person who has experienced a significant life change this year, seek out the person. If you know someone who has gone through a divorce, suffered the loss of a spouse or other loved one through death, or even who has sent off a child to college, consider showing that person a little extra consideration this holiday season. Invite the person to share Christmas dinner with you, send the person a card, give the person a call, or go to some other effort to let the person know he or she has not been forgotten.

Set aside a gift for a child in your church, neighborhood, or school. The holidays often put a lot of pressure on parents. This is especially so for single parents. If you know of a single-parent family in your church, school, or neighborhood, consider getting a small gift for the child. You don’t have to make a big production out of it, nor does it have to be expensive.

Make a donation to a church, shelter, or soup kitchen. Many organizations are finding they have way more people who need their services than they have money. Any donation – large or small – can help. If you can’t give money, give time.

Reach out to a lost connection. Time can rush by for us all and we can lose touch with people who were once close to us – siblings, friends, even parents. Take the time this holiday season to reach out to someone you’ve not spoken with lately.

Invite the new guy to dinner. If you know there is a new person at your job or there is a new family in your church, consider inviting this person or family to be a part of your holiday celebration. People who have recently moved to an area may not have family in their new town or may not be able to afford to return to their old city at the holidays. Spending time with new friends at a time like this could be just the thing to help them get over being homesick.

Choose any one of these (or several) tips and put it into place in your life in the coming week. We can all do something this Christmas season to show God’s love to others.