'Tis the Season to Be Serving.

Reaching out to others can make the holidays bright.

I can tell the holidays have arrived, and it's not just the holiday music at the mall or the red and green decorations I see everywhere. Suddenly my TV and newspaper abound with stories of people in need, and my mailbox is jammed with charity letters appealing for donations.

Instead of becoming frustrated by this overwhelming appeal for my time and money, I've turned the holidays into a season to raise my family's awareness of the value of serving others throughout the year. If you'd like to encourage sewing hearts in your home this holiday season, consider these tips:

* Tune in to the TV and notice the newspaper. Look for stories in the newspaper or on television that show people serving others. During the holidays my local newspaper runs a "wish list" from area people in need. As wishes are granted the paper also runs stories of those who donated their time, talent, and money, These stories have given my family great opportunities to talk about the joy of giving and allowed us to follow the biblical admonition to "serve one another in love" (Galatians 5:13, NIV).(*) Not only do we look forward to this yearly opportunity to serve, we've also learned to keep our eyes open for similar opportunities throughout the year.

* Go through the generations. At this year's holiday gathering (and at other times throughout the year), ask older relatives to discuss their acts of kindness. As they share, have them emphasize how serving others brought them the satisfaction of helping someone in need. My family has been amazed at the stories we've heard. While most experiences involved helping when someone was sick or when there had been a death in the family, one story went farther.

My father told about the time he rescued some children who were trapped in a runaway car. The children, who had been left in the car while their parents did an errand, accidentally bumped the car into gear. My dad saw the car rolling toward a steep embankment and was able to stop it before anyone was hurt.

This story of courage would never have been told if we hadn't asked my dad a simple question before he died: "When have you helped someone in need?"

* Discuss service at mealtimes. Incorporate opportunities to serve others into mealtime conversation. Take time to read the holiday greetings you received that day and to pray for the people who've sent them. When you're finished, save all the cards and post one each week on the refrigerator door as a throughout-the-year reminder to your family to pray for family and friends both near and far.

* Pick a program. During the holidays, programs to help others--especially children--abound "Toys for Tots," "Coats for Kids," and "Angel Tree" all help those in need. Yet too often it's easy to think that the need, like the program, disappears after Christmas. To counteract this, our family participates in a Christian program that allows us to sponsor a needy child all year long.

For years we've sent letters, gifts, and support money to "Shadrack, our son in Kenya," as we call the now 18-year-old young man whom our family has grown to love. Shadrack will be graduating from the program soon, and while we will miss our contact with him, our family looks forward to serving another child and impacting his or her life in the same way.

* Be your own best advertisement. Like so many other things in life, service is better caught than taught. Set the example of service this season through such simple things as dropping change in the Salvation Army bucket as you pass, baking and delivering Christmas cookies to a neighbor, or inviting someone to share part of your Christmas celebration.

As the seasons change, your good deeds can, too. In the spring, plant a garden for an elderly neighbor; then care for it throughout the summer. Rake leaves in the fall. Shovel snow in the winter. Show your children that service is an active part of your everyday life.

Remember that acts of service don't have to disappear with the holiday decorations once the new year starts. Instead, why not make a resolution to touch the lives of others with kindness spread throughout the year?

(*) Texts credited to NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version, Copyright [C] 1973, 1978, 1984, International Bible Society, Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.

Teresa Cleary is a writer living in Cincinnati, Ohio.