Send Dayton Love

Are you fed up with the mass shootings and wondering, “What can I do?”

My heart goes out to the families and community – and imagine yours does too.

Violence is pure evil and we need true love to overpower it.

Dayton was home to our family for 13 years. I know the Oregon district and Bellbrook well. I raised my kids in Dayton and even though we live in Atlanta, I feel for every family and people in the community. As a Mom of three 20-something children, this is NOT the type of world I want my children and future grandchildren to live in. This level of violence and fear is just not right. Fear seeks to cast doubt and divide us.

Love seeks to unify us. As humans we are made for connection and community. We crave peace, joy and love.

So, I did what I always do when I feel overwhelmed. I called some friends and we talked and then we talked about ‘What can we do?” You and I can do things to build stronger, safer families and communities. What we’ve done in the past simply isn’t enough and it’s not working.

Friends and I made a ‘Love Pledge’. We’ll do more. We’ll contact our legislators and tell them we want responsible gun control. We’ll advocate for better mental health care, access to care and support for families. One dynamic woman decided she will run for office. Another caring friend will spend more time with her grandkids, instilling them with strong moral values and she’s going to help other youth more.

As the inventor of the Original Love Box, the Love Agents and I have decided to surround our Dayton friends with Love – by sending love notes and Original Love Boxes.

The families, 1st responders, community members, bar patrons and establishment owners will know we love them and that they’re not alone.

That’s what WE can do: come together, support one another and ‘Love our neighbor’, both near and far.

Will you join us in prayer and love note writing? On Tues., 8/13 we’ll gather at Papa Jacks in Flowery Branch, Georgia, from 6:30 pm – 8 pm. Stop by any time. If you can’t make it, you can write love notes on the Original Love Box fb page and a Love Agent will handwrite it.

If you want to support the effort financially, you can give a family or families an Original Love Box for $35 each.

You can give here: https://www.paypal.me/christinemartinello/

These are challenging times, yet we can have hope for the future. Remember, this is a time of re-awakening. A time where the darkness is being exposed to the light and we all have a choice as to how we’ll move forward.

Know you are loved. In fact, you are Adored. And you have absolutely nothing to fear.

Love wins. Your hands and heart prove that.

OX,

Christine Martinello

Founder, Original Love Box

Thank you for your support: https://www.paypal.me/christinemartinello/

Love Agents and Christine Martinello, Inventor of the Original Love Box send Dayton love. Original Love Boxes, and handwritten love notes will surround families, 1st responders, hospital personnel and Oregon District establishments.

#Daytonstrong #Love #Dayton #LoveAgent #massshooting #family #business #OriginalLoveBox #heart #sendlove

Love Agents Keep on Giving

We want to Shout Out to amazing Love Agents!

Thank you for sharing love notes and Love Boxes to countless people and families. In the past year the following people and groups have benefited from special deliveries – love notes, Love Box books and Original Love Boxes. Makes everyone smile – the givers and the receivers.

Teachers
Homeless Families
Parkland, Florida – students, teachers and parents
Firefighters in Georgia and California
Police Officers
Nurses
Women Recovering from Addictions, Abuse and Mental Illness

Give the Gift of Love to Families

Hi Love Agent!
One thing is for sure – families and the world need more love. Don’t you think?

So, we’re planning to shower lots of love upon women and children recovering from mental health issues and homelessness. We want to provide love notes and love boxes for at least 35 + women and could use your support. We’re partnering with Home of Hope Gwinnett Children’s Shelter and Avita Community Partners.

Would you like to provide a Christmas Love Box for a family? It’s only $35 for each family. The fun campaign begins when the Love Agent Squad & I host the ‘Love Box Fund Party’ on Nov 1st. Your invitation is attached. If you can’t make the party, will you consider:

Giving through this link: https://www.paypal.me/christinemartinello/
Host a ‘Love Box Fund Party’ with your friends or with a non-profit group you love.

Please pray and see how your heart is opened. We’re believing for 35 women to get love Boxes @ $35 each. So, that’s $1,050. Would it bless you to give?

All our love & gratitude!
OX,
Christine & Bob

Bob & Christine
Founders – Original Love Box

Love Notes for Firefighters

Love Agents Write Love Notes for Firefighters

Join US and LOVE a firefighter

Encourage a Firefighter

How is your life different since 9/11 2001?

I remember that fateful day starting out sunny and cool in Dayton Ohio. In the morning I watched TV in disbelief and fear as the twin towers toppled over.

Much was lost that day and it was the beginning of a newfound appreciation for life and loving our neighbor.

We each had a choice to make. Would we be consumed by fear or focus on faith and love?

Days after 911 Bob and I decided; we won’t let fear rule our family, have a place at our table or in our hearts. We would go order selves and our neighbors so that the world would become better. We seriously thought about the kind of world we wanted our children to be raised in.

We decided to let faith in God and his love lead us. We put our trust in each other and stepped up efforts to promote a loving family and a more loving community. We committed our time, energy and money into creating a better world.

The sacrifices of all those who suffered were not in vain. Our country has become more vigilant in protecting us. People have stepped up to do good & unleashed a fierceness of love.

Let us each pick up the torch of freedom and create communities that we are all free to live in.

Let us not forget where we were and how the world has changed. We can continue to change America with each of our actions or inactions.

Let’s encourage one another along this journey. Encouragement is like a cold glass of lemonade on a sweltering hot day.

Tonight at 6:30 PM we will write love notes to fire fighters from Georgia to Carlsbad California. Please take a moment and encourage first responders.

Sending you so much love!

OX,

Christine Martinello

Founder, Original Love Box

Valentine’s Love Night Coming!

Valentine’s Love Night

5 Ways to Add a Spark to Your Relationship

Add a ‘Love Spark’ to Your Relationship

Recently, my husband and I celebrated our 25^th anniversary with not one, not two, but 10 special events. That’s right. What started out as a two week vacation turned into months of celebrating everywhere we went. Including: renewing our vows and partying with dear friends, going out for multiple anniversary dinners and being showered with many free desserts and unlimited well wishes.

Why did we go overboard? Because being married for 25 years is a huge accomplishment and our love deserves celebrating!

We’ve learned a few things about relationships along the way. Every relationship goes through seasons and once in a while, it needs a spark to re-ignite it. If you’ve been in a relationship for a while, you may need to jump start things.

Here is a recipe to add a SPARK of love to your relationship.

S – Spiritually Connect!

Your love story is a grand adventure and God is in it with you. God is the glue and the ultimate power source to your love. Pray together and watch God bind you closer together than ever. Remember – a strand of 3 cords can’t be easily broken.

To Do: Ask your partner: “What is 1 thing I can do this week to be a better partner?” Then listen. Sit quietly and really hear what the other person said, without getting defensive. Then, as long as it’s not offensive to you, when you’re ready to step out of your comfort zone, try it.

P – Physical Touch.

Hug, kiss, hold hands and be intimate. All of these physical touches are critical to keeping you close to each other.

Research shows that hugging (and also laughter) is extremely effective at healing sickness, disease, loneliness, depression, anxiety and stress. Research shows a proper heart to heart hug builds trust and a sense of safety.

Virginia Satir, a respected family therapist, “We need four hugs a day for survival. We need eight hugs a day for maintenance. We need twelve hugs a day for growth.”

To Do: Ask: How many hugs and touches would you like each day?

A – Actively Grow

Spend time together & apart doing NEW things. Add novelty to your relationship.

Engage in New experiences. Try new things together. Whether it’s traveling to a new country, taking a cooking class, or writing YOUR love story, this too will help keep your relationship alive. Engaging in new experiences will allow both you and your partner to learn new things about yourselves and each other. It also provides room for excitement, and to support each other.

Do the Original Love Box tradition. Write each other love notes and read them aloud to each other. Try writing your love story in the Original Love Box book. Keep your love alive by reliving wonderful past experiences and creating new ones.

You can keep your love story alive for future generations as well by writing it in the Original Love Box book. It’s such a treasured keepsake.

R- Respectfully Communicate.

Respectfully express your love and appreciation for each other. As often as you can. Top regrets people have at the end of their life are that they didn’t do what they really wanted. #3 regret is “I didn’t express my true feelings.”

It’s vital for us to express ourselves. The good and the bad. Make sure you pour loving words into your partner and your kids.

What’s a good ‘Love Talk ratio’?

Say 5 ‘Love Talks’ to 1 correction. Pump 5 positive, uplifting and loving statements to 1 negative one. Your tone of voice speaks volumes.

Start the Original Love Box tradition and keep pumping love notes into your partners life. Write love notes to each other!

If you hurt the other, be sure to extend grace and forgiveness. Do the 3-H Forgiveness method. Kathrine Lee, creator of the Ultimate Source recommends forgiving with your head, heart and hands. Forgive logically by thinking about making the conscious choice to forgive. Then search your heart and spiritually forgive them. Then extend your hand to forgive them and ultimately, use your hands to help another person.

K – Keep On Keeping On!

Different ages and stages bring different changes. Each season has challenges and opportunities for growth. Keep working on your relationship. Remember; the only way you can lose is if you give up.

Relationships have ups and downs. Keep the faith and keep believing in the other person. Stay hopeful and add a spark to have a happier and more rewarding relationship.

Wish you a love to last a lifetime. You can add a fresh spark to your love at any time and enjoy a long and loving relationship.

Remember to:

Communicate daily
Date weekly
Adventure monthly

Spark challenge:

What’s 1 thing I can do to be a better partner this week?
What can I do that’s novel and different?

What’s the 1st word that pops into your head about the holiday season?

For many years mine was, overwhelmed. Followed closely by over burdened and let’s not forget overweight. You get the picture, I was in way OVER my head. Then I hit the “That’s it! button and decided, “This holiday’s going to be different.”

It was time to change and to enlist help. My hubby and I looked around and realized we had a whole team of helpers at our disposal, they were just disguised as family members. So, we decided to organize and mobilize ourself and the troops.

Give the gift of love

1. Have a Plan. Make a plan for your time, your health and your Spiritual growth.

Use the Holiday Help! checklist and stay organized. The Holiday Help! checklist includes all the activities that make the holidays complete and you can tweak it for your family. You post it on the fridge and let each family member or holiday guest “sign up” to help. Then, assign a completion date for every activity on your calendar and who is responsible for its’ completion. The checklist keeps you organized and holds everyone accountable.

If no one signs up for an activity, it doesn’t get done. Oh what fun, it is to get the whole family helping along, Hey! When you’re organized and everyone’s working together cheerfully, everything is better.

If you want the checklist, just e-mail me: info@christinemartinello.com

2. Be still. Pray, meditate and open your heart to the Spirit. Focus on the true reason for the season. Read the Bible, devotional or other spiritual books to slow you down and grow in faith.

3. Simplify the Season. Ask; Why are we doing what you’re doing? Ask your family, “What are the most meaningful traditions? Do those & ditch the rest.

4. Control gift giving. Ask the kids TODAY: “What gifts do you remember from last year?” Then brace yourself. If your loved ones can’t remember, simplify to just 3 gifts. After all, 3 gifts were good enough for Jesus.

5. Focus on Relationships. Focus on growing in love instead of more stuff. Simplify and include others in the Season. Let go of wanting things to be perfect. Life is not a Hallmark show. They’re not going to be. Strive for ‘good enough’ instead. You really do NOT have to do it all alone. When we let others help we teach our kids and hubby how to love by serving.

6. Be grateful and Focus on the Moments – See all the joy in faces of the people you love and the moments.

7. Give the gift of Love. Grow closer together with family and friends as you share your love with the The Christmas Love Box tradition. If you’re not Christian, you can do the Original Love Box tradition. Giving the gift of love is the greatest gift you can give your family and the world.

You can get yours online at: www.originallovebox.com

Wishing you and your heart joyful moments amidst controlled chaos. Keep the faith and by all means, just keep breathing – deeply.

Breathe in: I am at peace.
Breathe out: I share love.

Merry Christmas friend!

Love Notes for Military

Original Love Box notes for Military

Here are 10 Tips to write great Love Notes to Soldiers:

Write from the heart.
Share things about yourself.
Thank them.
Share your why.
Mention military connections.
Tell them what’s going on at home.
No politics please.
You support & respect them.
Write like you speak.
Include encouraging quotes.

Sending Our Military Love!

Our soldiers work hard to defend our freedoms and their families sacrifice much. We decided it was high time to send them more love!

The Love Box Mission: To be ‘Love Agents’ for the Military Family by providing Original Love Notes® and/or The Original Love Boxes®.

Let’s give every soldier as many love notes as possible and give their families a Love Box too. The Love Box for Military Families includes the Original Love Box® plus unique patriotic items especially designed for military families.

Benefits: The Original Love Box® for Military Families is a powerful tool that will benefit soldiers and their families every day and keep them close, especially during periods of deployment when military marriages are the most stressed.

Sponsor levels:

Organize a Love Note Campaign to send military soldiers and their families more love now. Suggested donation: $1 per love note.
Sponsor an Original Love Box® for one or more Military Families – $39.99 each.
Provide extra Original Love Note Packs – 20 love notes – $9.95.
Donate seed money toward the creation of ‘The Military Love Box’.
______________________ Your idea here! Would love to hear it.

Who’s Involved: Christine Martinello, Inventor of the Original Love Box® & Jacqueline Arnold, Creator of Sweet Life USA (www.sweetlifeusa.com) are joining forces to send our military families more love.

The Braselton Rotary is hosting these keynote speakers at the Nov. 9^th meeting @7:30 a.m.

Contact:
Christine Martinello, P. O. Box 851, Braselton, GA 30517
Email: info@christinemartinello.com PH: 678-960-www.originallovebox.com

Let us know if you want to join forces and send love to Military families. Because of you, we can spread more love! You help educate & encourage military families so they can build foundations of love. Thanks!