Tag Archives: healing

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

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!

Want a ‘Regret-free’ life? Then Express Your Love

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:

5 Healing Powers of Love

Have you ever felt the healing power of love?

Love heals in many ways; our body, mind and spirit can be healed with the power of Love. Here are some fascinating ways that love heals:

1. Love decreases stress. Did you know that love counteracts the fight or flight response? Yes, it does and mighty effectively. Love regulates the production of cortisol (stress hormone) and elevates the production of Oxytocin, (happy hormone), which can reduce cardiovascular stress and improve the immune system.

2. Love causes the production of norepinephrine and dopamine in your brain, which leads to increased feelings of joy and pleasure.

Love Heals our Body, Mind & Spirit

3. Love has been proven to reduce inflammation, improves your immune system, and can be a potent pain reliever. A recent study from the Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research at Ohio State Univ. shows us that people who are lonely develop more reactivation of latent viruses than those that are well connected.

4. Love decreases anxiety and can keep depression at bay. It also reduces the signs and symptoms of heart disease.

5. When you tell another person how much you love them, why and how they are a special gift, you’ll feel ‘love energy’ passing between you both.

Love truly is great medicine. Love is a powerful healer in all its’ many forms.

When someone says, “I’m so in love” they are often referring to romantic love, but there is so much more to it than that. I want to encourage you to think of love in a broader way. We can grow in love with God, with our children and grandchildren. We can grow more in love with our friends, animals, our self and even grow in love with life itself.

When we are united in the Spirit of God’s love and in the service to others we feel an overflowing love. We heal ourself and others when we share the overflowing Spirit of love.

So ‘love large’, connect with others and you’ll feel more happy, 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.

Don’t underestimate the power of love. Acts of love for people, places and others provide healing health benefits.

Try it, I think you’re going to not just like it, you’ll love it!

Question for you: How will you share the healing power of love?

Love Heals!

“The greatest healing therapy is friendship and love.” Hubert Humphrey

As Kim says, “I’m finding people are walking around and not feeling very appreciated or loved whether it’s with our kids or in our families or at work.” Like cracked glass, we can feel broken at times. We want to be put back together again and feel whole. We can heal our relationships and Kim shows us the way.

This video highlights Kim’s brave story. She shared words of affirmation and appreciation with not one or two but twelve people in her extended family! Can you imagine?

Kim stepped out in unconditional love because she felt strongly about helping each person in her immediate and extended family ‘find their voice’. Look at how Kim lights up as she describes how everyone reacted to her and everyone become closer.

If you or anyone you know comes from a family that felt broken, you know what a courageous story this is. Here’s to stopping the cycle of chaos and sharing unconditional love. Thank you Kim for your courageous efforts to be the ‘linchpin of love’ in your family.

“Love does a lot of healing good.” ~Kim Smith

Share Love & Heal

What have you done to create healthy and whole relationships?