How To

Here's my personal homemade "How To - Video Guide" on Operation Mustard Seed.

So with Thanksgiving upon us I wanted to say Thank You to all those who have pledged to my campaign so far, more than  45 people! It always makes my heart smile when I receive an email from someone I least expected to pledge with an encouraging word or note.  This is a huge blessing that I am very Thankful for!

In addition to the kind emails, I have also received a lot of questions about #OperationMustardSeed ~ Now if your inside voice is saying "What are you talking about Greek Girl, what is this "Operation Mustard Seed" ?  If this is what your inside voice is saying, then you probably need to go back to step one and visit this link: 

https://fundanything.com/en/campaigns/operation-mustard-seed?col=-29526

Since the Campaign launched on November 11th - I have had questions about how to pledge, so since all of you who read this blog should know by now I'm a "Talker" not a "Typer" check out the "HOW TO" FundAnything #Video on #youtube ! 

If you Like my Music & Message and want to be a part of adding a little Salt & Light to the world via Music...  

Then Please #Watch #Learn, #Pledge & #Share !

Thank You, have a beautiful day and a very happy Thanksgiving! 

Blessings, Love & Music ~

Ava xo
www.avaaston.com

Fund Anything Week One Wrap-Up

A little measure of faith is all it takes to make big things happen.

I Wanted to take minute to say THANK YOU to everyone who has pledged & emailed with encouragement for #OperationMustardSeed the campaign here on #FundAnything for my 1st Faith-Based Album!

Sometimes in life when we step out to do something Big that we feel God is calling us to do it's scary.  This is where I am.  All my life I've been pursuing #music for my reasons… The World is darker than ever, more people need to hear the positive message of #Faith, #Hope & #Love that is Only found in Gods word. When I felt I was being called to step out to CCM (Contemporary Christian Music) vs. just making the Pop/Rock/Country blend I have been doing all my life, I was thinking "God are you sure you want me to do that?… I don't have a record label, a manager, a this, a that, …) on top of just spending the last 2 yrs recovering from not one but 2 car accidents.  Then he showed me that all it takes is the Faith of a Mustard seed.  To stop focusing on what I don't have, focus on what I do have, the talent, the songs and the heart to make an impact, to just step out and let him do the rest.

So… I'm stepping out & asking people to join me.  I believe the best way to share this New Music is to give the people who love my music the chance to Invest. You have the opportunity to be a part of this journey, as I hope this new music will be a part of yours.

I am truly honored to have your support.

Please try to #SHARE Daily!  We've crossed the $1,000 mark… Only 26 Days to GO! (Funding ends Dec. 11th).  Posting at least once a day on social media like twitter, Facebook, etc. really helps!  It is going to take a lot of people to reach the goal - Thank you so very much not only for your support but also for your time!

Please #SHARE :

https://fundanything.com/en/campaigns/operation-mustard-seed

Blessings, Love & Music ~
Ava xo
www.avaaston.com

Operation Mustard Seed

Operation Mustard Seed on FundAnything.com for Ava's New Christian Album.

Most readers of this blog know all about Greek Girl.  However for those who may be visiting my blog for the first time, Hi!  I'm Ava Aston.  Today we are launching "Operation Mustard Seed", a campaign to fund my very 1st Christian Music Album. The campaign is chock full of creative rewards & benefits for your involvement! We thought it would be fitting to launch on Veterans Day being that my husband is a Veteran, my mom works for the Purple Heart helping Veterans, and my passion for our supporting our Military. Hopefully I'll be able to fulfill one of my dreams and do a USO Tour one day!

So for anyone new to my music, I’m an Independent Recording Artist, and I live just outside of New York City.  For my entire life I have been working on building a music career. When things finally started to move, my husband and I were both rear-ended in a car accident and my career came to a screeching halt, “literally.” We both suffered several injuries including both of us having a Traumatic Brain Injury.

For the last two years we’ve spent countless hours in recovery as I watched what was moving in my career slowly dwindle and drift away.  I found myself very upset not knowing why or how God could let something like this happen.

Through much prayer and reflection I came to understand that the bad thing that God allowed was in fact for my good.  What I realized was that I was on the potter’s wheel.  For my entire life I had been trying to do things “my way”.  I wanted a music career for my reasons & for my purpose and finally just as it seemed like it was moving, God stopped me.

He showed me during this time that the voice He gave me was for Him and His purpose, that He wanted me to use it for his glory, not mine.  Now trust me, if any of you know me you would know this was not exactly the easiest thing for me to swallow, as this Greek Girl likes doing things my way and patience is not one of my redeeming qualities.

This experience though has been a turning point in my life.  I realized God has spent this time breaking me down and building me back up. But this time, it was going to be done “His way”.  So I’m setting out on a whole new journey, taking music in a new direction by making my very first Christian Music album.

I have songs ready to record that are all rooted in the message faith, hope, not giving up and they embrace and promote the American Values I am so passionate about.

So as my own act of faith I am stepping out.  I am asking you to join me on this journey. Because just like me, God wants to do a work in each one of us.  Music is a very powerful tool, it can speak where words can’t. That is why I have come to making this campaign because I cannot make this happen on my own.

This campaign is my act of faith in Him that through people like you who share my values, who are saddened by what they see throughout pop culture with the decline in the moral fabric of our society… that I will be able to raise the financial support necessary to make my first Faith-based album. It’s part of a multi-phased plan. Step one is to produce the album, so I am asking for your prayerful consideration in helping it come to fruition.

There are a number of rewards to show my appreciation for getting involved.  My hope is that you would take the time to consider helping me do what I believe God has called me to do with the gifts and talents he gave me; to spread the positive message of faith, hope, and love.  To make music to encourage and lift people up in a world that is far too often busy tearing them down.

I am asking you to join me.  There are rewards for all levels, even as low as $5 - no level is to small and will help get the music & message out to the masses.  Please share the campaign with your friends, family, on social media, and email.  Most of all I am asking for your prayers as I set out on this journey.  I hope to have you join me.

We're using the funding site www.fundanything.com which is the brainchild of Donald Trump.  Today at 5:20pm EST my campaign will be live!  To go direct to my campaign please visit www.avaaston.com/operationmustardseed.html - please note this link will not be live until after 5:20pm EST 11/11/13 - This is a 30 day campaign, so please pledge then #share - Time is of the Essence!  Thank you so much for your time!  I would be honored to have you join me on this journey!

Blessings, Love & Music ~
Ava :D xo
www.avaaston.com

Landslide

Don't complain unless you are in the game.
Vote Nov. 5, 2013.

So I am doing my thing and minding my own business.  Okay who am I kidding?  I was searching the internet looking for some new deals on Kohls.com and printing coupons for my favorite things like Dunkin Donuts and Zone Bars.  That was when I came across this story about this upcoming election and how in one state in particular they are calling for a Landslide.

Now as you know being Greek, and since us Greeks created politics I just had to check out what in the heck in the world were they talking about?  See I was confused because like everyone else I have been mostly hearing about Obamacare and all the lying and misleading that went along with that bill of goods.  So I read on.

Low and behold I found myself actually enjoying the fact that there is a very strong possibility that Chris Christy is going to win the New Jersey Gubernatorial election.  Now I know there are a lot of "Christy-Haters" out there, and he's not this Greek Girls favorite, there a lot of things about him I don't agree with. However, it is far better than the alternative.  This got me to thinking "This could be a good thing."  Well of course anytime I see someone who is on the conservative side of things winning it is a good thing.  But this is different because I was reading it in a mainstream media news article on Yahoo.  What's more is that the article went on to discuss how there are a number of very decisive elections being held all around the country.

This is the part that got me.  The article talked about how few people actually pay attention to the local elections and only vote in the Presidential election.  The point was and is that if we as a people, you know, "WE THE PEOPLE" (ah-hem selfish plug for my song) would actually unplug from Kardashian's and the renaming debacle of the Washington Redskin's and actually pay attention to the things that really matter, I wonder where our country would be.

What am I talking about?  Well people listen up.  If you are like me and you are sick and tired of all the nonsense going on around us such as Obamacare and all the mess that is going on in Washington DC, we need to do something.  "What's that Greek Girl?  I need to do something?"  Yes, it's called get your butt up off your sofa this Tuesday, take a 1/2 hour shorter lunch break, go in to the office a little earlier or come home just a little later and get over to your local voting booth.

It is time we stand up, time we speak out, time WE THE PEOPLE take our country back and stop allowing the bureaucrats and political elite decide what is right and wrong for us and our families.  For crying out loud even God Himself said, "If my people who are called by my name and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from Heaven, and I will forgive their sin and heal their land." - Isaiah 43:7.

So this Tuesday, if you haven't already cast your ballot through early voting or absentee ballot please get out and exercise your right and take part in helping restore our amazing and God-given country.

Blessings, Love & Music~
Ava xo
www.avaaston.com