The terrible tragedy in Orlando has touched us all. The pain and grief is overwhelming.
So many of us want to do something but aren’t sure how to help. Here’s one way to send comfort and healing. Let’s surround Orlando with love!
The Original Love Box team has decided to take action and send heartfelt ‘Love Notes’ to those impacted.
Christine Martinello, creator of the Original Love Box and the ‘Love Agents’ are on a mission to surround Orlando with love. Love notes have flooded in from all over the United States and Prince of Peace Catholic Church has joined the effort. Christine and her ‘Love Agents’ will send the notes on Monday, June 20th.
If friends, companies, churches, or community members want to write love notes, they can send them to Christine Martinello.
Love has the power to unite us all, whether we’re living near or far. Can we, as a nation, band together to show our love for our neighbors?
You can send Love Notes to: info@christinemartinello.com or call: 678-960-4123
Wasn’t it refreshing to be reminded of the precious love story between Nancy and Ronald Reagan? It is inspiring to know their romance will last forever in written love letters.
Ronnie wrote to Nancy: “Whatever I treasure and enjoy—this home, our ranch, the sight of the sea—all would be without meaning if I didn’t have you.”
You too can make your love story last forever with the Original Love Box tradition!
This week we placed a big order for NEW boxes, books and love notes. So you can write, read and relive your loving relationships.
Original Love Box Kit
You can now write love notes and do the Love Box tradition all year long. For any and every special holiday or life event such as birthdays, Mother’s Day, a wedding or baby shower to Thanksgiving and Christmas.
The Original Love Box book is for couples who want to write, ‘Our Love Story’. It is filled with easy, romantic and fun questions to answer and when you’re done, you have your love story written. It’s romantic and easy to do. The book is sprinkled with love poems and sample love notes. It has everything you need to quickly start the tradition.
We hope to receive the products by the end of April or early May, depending on manufacturing and shipping. As a friend, you can sign up and we’ll contact you as soon as they arrive!
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner.
It seems every store is splashed with an array of red and pink hearts, roses, stuffed animals and let’s not forget chocolates. (Yaaay!)
Here at ‘Love Box Land’ our attention is focused on helping people experience and grow in love all year long.
Here’s the definition of love.
Love
noun 1. an intense feeling of deep affection.
verb 2. to feel a strong or constant attachment and affection for a person.
So you see it is a noun AND a verb. For our love to grow we need to give it attention. In both of these descriptions you’ll see the word feeling. And that’s fine however love is so much more than a feeling.
Love is a choice.
What is the greatest love? Unconditional love!
“Unconditional love is known as affection without any limitations, it can also be love without conditions. This term is sometimes associated with other terms such as true altruism, or complete love.”
As a wife and parent quite often I don’t feel like serving my children and husband. Yet, when I do think about their needs and serve them, I am being a humble servant and a leader. When I serve them consistently they know they are loved. When they humbly serve me, I feel loved.
Unconditional love puts the interests of our beloved before our own. Sometimes, oftentimes, we don’t feel like it.
This is the dichotomy of love. In giving love away we feel love more.
We’re expanding! The Original Love Box, notes and book are in the final creation phase. I invite you to check it out and sign up to be contacted when it’s available.
Do you want to express your love in writing but not really sure how? Don’t you worry. We’re here to help you get those loving words flowing.
This excerpt from The Christmas Love Box book highlights how to create a cherished love note.
1. Quiet down and listen to your heart.
2. Think about the other person. Let all the love, fondness and appreciation that your feel for them flow out of you.
3. Start writing and don’t stop until you’re happy with the note.
To get you going, here are some love note starters:
1. What I love (or like) about you is . . . .
2. You are a precious gift to me (or others) because . . .
3. You are special and unique because . . .
You can keep these one-of-a-kind notes in the keepsake Christmas Love Box. They will be read over and over again. It’s the gift that keeps giving all year long.
To get the Christmas Love Box in time for Christmas, purchase before Dec. 17th.
About this time last year Peggy was planning her families Thanksgiving celebration. She was rushing around wondering what kind of activity the whole family could do together.
Peggy’s family has 4 generations to keep content! She talked to me about the Love Box tradition and she decided to alter it to fit their families needs.
As their family gathered for Thanksgiving she asked each member to go into her bedroom and write a love note or note of appreciation to her mom, Mom Helen, who is also a grandma and great-grandma. Each member of the family also took love notes home to write for each other before their Christmas celebration.
Peggy gathered all the love notes for Mom Helen and put them in the Christmas Love Box. She wrapped it up beautifully and gave the ‘gift of love’ to her Mom.
“We found my mom in tears as she read and re-read the love notes which she keeps on the end table near her sofa.” Peggy said.
Mom Helen has read the love notes all year long and each time, prays for each person. This keeps her connected to her whole family throughout the year.
Talk about a gift full of thanks and giving and it lasts for generations to come.
Tis the Season . . .
And the decorations and songs in the stores are here to prove it.
At this time of year I always feel a battle between doing what the world wants me to do (buy more) and what God wants of me (love more). The tug of war is real and we need to take steps to counteract commercialism.
It’s time to take back Christmas. Here’s the thing. . . YOU get to decide what kind of holiday season you want. When it will start, end and everything in between. So, let’s be intentional and do what’s most important.
If you have thought “Christmas has become like a circus” or “The Holidays suck the life force out of me,” there’s hope for a better holiday.
5 Ways to Combat Commercialism
1. Ask your kids, “What do you remember about last Christmas?” What traditions did you like to do? What gifts do you remember getting? You will probably be surprised by the answers. Do what’s most important and let go of the activities that don’t fit into your top priorities. Let’s simplify.
2. Let’s focus on celebrating the real reason for the season which is the birth of Jesus and sharing the light and love of God with others. During Advent focus on spiritual activities like prayer and good works. How about singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to Jesus this year?
3. Set a limit on time, money and number of gifts to give this year. Long ago our family decided to give no more than 3 gifts for each person. We figured if it was good enough for Jesus to get 3 gifts, it was good enough for us.
4. Model for your family the values you hold dear. Your kids will do what they see you do.
5. Host a ‘Family Love Night’ with the Christmas Love Box Tradition.
Just imagine, you’re sitting in your living room with your loved ones, surrounded by candles, chocolate and Love. With each note read aloud, the magic of love is released and binds you all closer together.
The night is a precious and magical time together as each person feels valued, appreciated and loved. The force of love binds you closer together.
Then after the holidays are over, you have love notes in your loved ones handwriting to relive those happy times. You’ll have notes from when the kids were 5, 10 or 15. The kids have notes of love from their parents, aunts, uncles and Grandparents. Forever. You can read and re-read those love notes all year round.
Oh, it can be different alright. Rather than giving stuff you can give and get the gift of love.
It’s so, so much better. I promise.
There’s a battle going on between commercialism and spirituality. So, let’s lace up those combat boots and start walking. Singing Christmas carols all the way. Ready? Set. Let’s go.
The CLB challenge is that you will share the gift of love, by writing love notes to your family and friends this holiday season. You’re committed to building a foundation of love in your family with the Christmas Love Box tradition.
We are committed to creating a new world of love.
A long, long time ago people thought the the more presents you gave at Christmas showed others how much you loved them. The holidays got over commercialized and ‘sucked the life force’ out of many people.
NOT ANYMORE
We are inspired.
The Spirit of Love is Powerful.
We will give the gift of love,
One note at a time.
Recently I met a dear friend for lunch. She has been reunited with a boyfriend she knew decades earlier from high school. She sounded like a teenager again as she gushed “I’m sooooo in love”. Her voice was silky and her eyes softening. You know what I mean? It got me thinking about how expansive love is and the many areas of life we can grow ‘in love’ with.
Did you know the ancient Greeks had 6 words to express love?
1. Passionate, romantic love.
2. Deep friendship love.
3. Playful love.
4. Love for everyone.
5. Longstanding love.
6. Love for self.
There are so many more ways we can expand our love. We can grow ‘in love’ with God, friends, our children and grandchildren. (Grandma’s keep telling me they feel a love like no other for their grandchildren.) We can grow more in love with our work, hobbies, pets, nature,our self and even with life itself.
When we are united in the Spirit of God’s love and in service to others we feel an overflowing love.
So, let’s expand our view and commit to grow in love in many areas of life. Let’s ‘love large’, connect with others and feel more happy, whole and healthy. Let’s let our ‘love light’ shine bright in the world.
By thinking about and identifying how many areas of love are present in your life, you may find out that you have a lot more love than you had ever imagined in your life.
The Love Cheerleaders remind us to grow in L-O-V-E
Reflecting Question:
So, how many areas of life are you ‘in love’ with?
Did you know that expressing your love is vital to living a joyful, regret-free life? Well, it most certainly is.
In the book ‘The 5 Regrets of the Dying’ by Bronnie Ware we learn that the third biggest regret that people have in their life is, “I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.”
People suppress their feelings for a number of reasons from being shy to trying to keep peace with others. When we don’t express our feelings we settle for surface relationships at best.
Mrs. Ware said, “Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming. Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a result.”
Be a ‘love agent’, express your love and connect with others in a deeper way. You’ll feel happier, whole and healthy. The next time you’re feeling low, rather than becoming isolated, call a friend or reach out to someone else with kindness.
There’s bonding power that is released when we express our love. Expressions of love for people, places and others provides us all with an authenticity and fullness of love.
So, come on, try it. Gather up your courage and tell another how and why you love them. Express those loving feelings. I think you’re going to love it! You won’t regret it.
The Christmas Love Box tradition helps people express their true feelings and live a regret-free life. To learn how you can express your love MORE watch:
The terrible tragedy in Orlando has touched us all. The pain and grief is overwhelming.
