Monday, April 28, 2014

Rising Star on ABC

Want to see little ol' me on this new show? ;o)
Want to see little ol' me on this new show? ;o)
Would you like to see me on a "New Music Talent" Show by ABC called Rising Star ?
If you're sitting there thinking "What in the heck in the World are you talking about Greek Girl - did you fall down and hit you noggin?!" I know most of you know how I feel about TV Talents shows... but hey a little National Exposure can go a long, long way for an Independent Recording Artist like myself. I had actually planned to attend the open call in NYC this past week. However, due to the relapse in my back injury from the car accidents I was unable to attend as I could not even stand that day. In fact I spent most of that day at the Chiropractor & getting an MRI, I know sounds like oodles of fun.
Thank goodness I'm on the mend again, and decided to do a video submission instead. So with that said I need to ask a favor, hey you never know. If people nominate me it could help. I value your support and trust you would write a good recommendation about Greek Girl! If you'd like to help, here's what to do:
Visit This Link to Nominate Me: (follow the prompts)
www.iamarisingstar.com
When it gets to the Video Submission. Below is my "official online video audition". You may use it if you like or any of the other videos on my youtube channel.

Here's the link to my "Acapella Channel" on my YouTube page. There are over 60+ songs, so you can choose whatever you like best.
"Ava Aston Acapella Channel Youtube":
www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD36065AB49A17789
HURRY though the LAST DAY to nominate me is This Wednesday April 30th Midnight Pacific Time! Just follow the prompts and tell them why you think I'd be great for the show. I appreciate your time and support very much! Thank you so much guys, your time is very much appreciated! Have a great week!
Blessings, Love & Music ~
Ava xo
www.avaaston.com

Monday, April 21, 2014

Heaven Is For Real

Painting of Jesus by child prodigy Akine Kramarik - little Colton saw without knowing what it was and said that was Jesus who he met in Heaven. Two kids on opposite sides of the earth saw the saw thing can only mean one thing... Heaven is for Real!
Painting of Jesus by child prodigy Akiane Kramarik - little Colton saw without knowing what it was and said that it was Jesus who he met in Heaven. Two kids on opposite sides of the earth who saw the same thing can only mean one thing... Heaven is for Real!
So I finally got a minute to catch up on some movies I had been wanting to see this weekend. One of them was the film "Heaven Is For Real", the story about four year old Colton Burpo's near death experience and his trip to Heaven and back.
I was pleasantly surprised by how touched I was by the film. I mean other than the large group of loud teenagers who got the movie theater mixed up with a frat party that is... Seriously though, I am an out of the closet Jesus loving bible believing Christian so of course I knew I was going to "like" the movie. What I didn't expect was how profound and yet simple some of the things that happened in the story would effect me.
Faith is something that can not be seen, it's felt. The bible tells us we are to have the faith of a little child. I have always been that way, I do not need to see things in black and white, I'm a heart Christian. I have felt Jesus with me most of my entire life for almost as long as I can remember. Some people are different though, they are more science Christians. They need to have things laid out like an essay with facts and logic then tie it into the "feeling" faith part.
The thing is though we are Gods miracle, we are his creation and he hard wired us with a direct line to him. Now skeptics can say what they want and they can call things what they want. After all perception is available to everyone, and each person is free to perceive things they way they want to. However in my mind this is how it works... God hard wired us with a direct line to him, and a hole in our hearts that can only be filled by him.
The little voice you hear telling you, no you shouldn't do that, don't go there, go home, stay here, move, don't move, buy, don't buy, turn in the wallet you just found on the floor, and on and on... that little "gut check" if you will is the holy spirit guiding you. Jesus left us with that part of him when he ascended into heaven after the resurrection and being here on earth for the forty days. Everyone has at some point in their life whether they are a believer or not has felt it. The question is... to believe it or not.
The very profound yet simple things that happened in this story are totally unexplainable other than it being what little Colton said it was. That he went to Heaven and saw the things he did. He also came back with a very simple yet profound message... That he (God) really really loves us. That he wants us with him in Heaven, so much so that he gave his only son to make us right with him. God can not look upon sin, and so he sent Jesus his only son to take on the sins of every man woman and child from the beginning to the end of time so that we can one day be with him in Heaven.
The skeptic can ask a million questions, and to that I say go get a bible. Sit down and read it, get a devotional, sit down and read it. It's all in there, every answer to every question to every need to every situation we can ever possibly encounter on earth the answer is there in the bible. The bottom line though is we were all created by God for his purposes. So we can run around from here to there trying to make our own way and wondering why things don't work out, or why some things are so easy for some people, and wondering... The only way to have peace and contentment is to plug into and connect into the one outlet we were only meant to charge from, our heavenly father. He is love.
What I really love about the story in real life is that little Colton is a teenager now and guess what?... he can sing. He and his family have a ministry called "Heaven Is for Real Ministries"  where they do events to expose more people to message of hope. I heard this song and again, the message so simple, yet so very profound. He loves us, he really really loves us.


I challenge anyone to watch the film, listen to this song, read the bible and then look back on your life. He is there, he has always been there. It doesn't matter how far you've gone, you're never too far for his love to reach. You matter and he has a plan for you. You can feel him, it is just a matter of acknowledging him and answering the door to his knocking. This world and it's cares are only temporary, Heaven is for Real and it is forever.
Blessings, Love & Music ~
Ava  xo
www.avaaston.com

Monday, April 14, 2014

Wonderland

I think I hear choirs of Angels singing... do you?
I think I hear choirs of Angels singing... do you?
This week I felt like I was transported smack dab into my very own version of "Alice In Wonderland". However in this new and improved version it's not about a girl named Alice who eats some magic mushrooms and goes into a hole in the ground. In this version it's about a Greek Blonde Girl who is obsessed with sneakers who gets to take trip to see behind the curtain to see the Wizard in the wide world of sneakers.
Most people who know me know a few things about me. I love fitness and working out, therefore I love sneakers. So anyone who knows anything about me knows these few things, I love sneakers, coffee (Dunkin Donuts my favorite), chocolate, animals, and Vitamin Water Zero ("Go Go" flavor thank you very much). Where most women collect high heels, this girl collects sneakers. Honestly in my humble Greek opinion a girl (or guy) can just never have too many. They keep your feet happy, like flip flops. I mean really.... who wants to walk around in a pointy hard to walk in, hard high shoe all dang day long? Not me!
So in my closet at any given moment you will find a vast array of sneakers. Yes they are called sneakers (even though my former manager Mr. Bricks likes to call them "tennis shoes") I bet he likes to wear his "tennis shoes" with his white skinny jeans from the 80's, gosh that's a scary thought. OK so back to Wonderland... Besides being a recording artist, I'm also an actor. Which has led to doing some pretty cool promotions, product launches and events. Sometimes when companies are launching a new product line they like to hire people to go out and talk to people about the product. People who are outgoing, friendly and are comfortable talking to people (or who have the gift to gab per say). In this case Greek Girl was hired to be a "Sneaker Ambassador" for Merrell. Just saying that makes me giddy. Who better to go around yapping my big Fat Greek Yap trap about a new line than yours truly?.. I know, perfect right!
Can you pic the Greek Girl out of this lineup?
Can you pic the Greek Girl out of this lineup?
So before they let us lose to go out and make the clients aware of the new line, it's benefits, and what it's all about, they flew all of us "Sneaker Ambassadors" to Minneapolis MN to learn about Merrell's New "All Out" line. Merrell is a fantastic company with a history of quality shoes that outlast and out perform for decades. One of their tag lines is: "Performance + Innovation - It's in our History... and our Future." Knowing what I know now after seeing behind the curtain, I think it's perfect.
"Barefoot Running" became very popular after the book "Born to Run" written by Christopher McDougall was published back in May of 2009. In 2011 Merrell had a huge launch of it's Barefoot Running shoe. Barefoot simply means zero angle. Most Traditional running shoes have an 12-15 mm drop. Drop meaning the angle of the heel above the forefoot. Although it allows for lots of cushioning it can end up causing improper heel strike (meaning your heel is not hitting the ground under your hips where it is supposed to). The idea behind Merrell's Barefoot Running sneaker was to let your feet follow their natural instincts. Connect your feet to the terrain (protected by a Vibram sole), realign your gait, improve posture, and strengthen the muscles in your feet and legs. In other words let your body do what comes naturally. Merrell's Barefoot Collection also includes a thin EVA cushion to protect, and two impact zones. As Barefoot Running grew and people did it for longer, Barefoot become less important to consumers. They wanted a little more cushion, but still wanted a connection to the earth...
Thus the NEW "All Out" line was born. The "All Out" is a blend between a Barefoot and a Traditional Running shoe. The "All Out" line of sneakers all have a 6mm drop. Which allows for a little more cushion than the Barefoot running shoe with a Zero drop. The idea of the line is: Activate, Impact Protection, and Animal Like Agility. Activate your body's most efficient natural form with Merrell's flexible underfoot wrap shaped around the arch to create a continuous, flexible contact for increased mobility, flexibility and efficiency. Impact Protection made of their ultra flexible "UniFly" impact absorption system to provide a soft landing, disperse impact and allow for a stable take off. The perfect balance of feel and protection so you can go further, faster and longer. The Animal Like Agility comes from the "MSelect Grip" outsole. It's circular design allows for each lug to move independetly providing muti-directional control and surface area. Add to this Merrell's unique Fit Features in this line of a stitched in footbed and "Omni fit Lacing System" which provide a precise glove like fit.... and you might just have a miracle.
Seriously though if all that is not technical enough for you, well you might just belong at Nasa. If you're like me and you just love to run, and or you love sneakers... you really should check out the new "All Out" line of kicks! They come in three versions, one for road the "All Out Fuse", one for road and trail the "All Out Rush", and a hiker called the "All Out Blaze" which comes in low, mid and high ankle heights. They all come in super fun colors and trust me your feet will thank you. I have been wearing mine and I can definitely say it's been like a walk in wonderland. Keeping my tootsies happy while I'm in the process of working on NEW Music that I can't wait to share!
Blessings, Love & Music ~
Ava :D
www.avaaston.com


Monday, April 7, 2014

Damned If Ya Do Damned If Ya don't

Don't See, Don't Buy...
Don't See, Don't Buy...
With so much junk and minutia being passed off as "entertainment" for what is seeming like forever one would think that people, in particular Christians would be happy to see projects coming out that have anything to do with the bible. Surprisingly though it seems to be the total opposite.
Ironically Christians seem to be the first ones to jump on the "boycott" wagon starting virtual internet crusades for people (meaning Good Christians) to not see a particular project. We've all seen them bombarding our Facebook news feeds where this organization or that one is on a mission spread the word to make sure something tanks. I find this not only silly but also hypocritical.
You would think that after things like oh let me see where shall I begin?... Beyonce's Super Bowl halftime show where she pranced around dressed like a 1920's hooker dancing like a stripper on a pole in front of millions of people including children. Lets not forget Miley's twerking escapades, I know I know she is only "expressing herself" (remember when Madonna did that? oh to go back to the days when Madonna was being "Shocking"). We also have the gay agenda being shoved down the throats of every man woman and child in this country (personally I don't care what people do in their bedrooms but don't call me hateful because I believe "marriage" is between one man and one woman). Then there's Islam Ignorance, you know that "peaceful religion" which in reality is a sick twisted violent and barbaric cult being not only tolerated but promoted all over the country. Meanwhile Christians are silenced as being hateful and bigoted. God out of the workplace, out of schools, out of government, and what do we have? Chaos. Watching all this happen right in front of our very eyes one would think that a Christian would be happy, not just happy but giddy to see some form of entertainment coming out whether it be a film, TV miniseries, music artist, heck even a preacher on TV, something, anything that has to do with the bible and not a half naked person, violence, or foul language being passed off as "art".
So to me when I see crusades for people to boycott a film, artist, or preacher it makes me laugh inside. First thing... this is to all the "Super Christians" of the world, get off your moral high horse. The only perfect person ever was Jesus. We're saved by Grace that can't be earned. Not one of us was there when the bible was written. Second it was written by whom? Man, which is what? Human. Therefore not perfect, and it has been translated how many times? In how many languages? My point is, arguing over potato vs. potato-to kind of things is silly and very counter productive. We have one job as followers of Christ, that is to go and spread the "Good News" period! Jesus was clear when he gave us The Great Commission. In Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV)
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Reading that I don't see Jesus telling them to: go around poking your nose in other Christians business to make sure they are living right according to your standards of interpretation of the bible, or to judge every book, film, TV program to see if it is "biblically accurate". Do you? Yet so many Christians get so wrapped in judging other Christians life and work, rather than spending their time much more fruitfully by working to reach souls for the Kingdom. Working instead to reach the people of the world who do not know the peace that passes all understanding, the love above all other loves, found only in one place... Jesus.
The thing the haters are missing is, you are not going to reach people by walking in and slapping them in the face. So many people in todays world are so lost, hurting so bad, and have been so judged, they are simply not going to respond to that kind of message, they just aren't. So in a modern world, when an artist takes a different approach to telling a story or to open the dialogue we shouldn't be working against them. Now if someone is putting out a film that has blatant fabrications like I don't know saying something like Jesus was married or something like that then of course that is something to not support or be a part of. However when someone is mad because a good looking actor is cast in a movie or miniseries as Jesus, to me that signals something off with the accuser.
For films like Noah where everyone is losing their minds about the portrayal of God as angry and it being made by a non Christian film maker, again all I can say is HELLO it's HOLLYWOOD. It was never portrayed or promoted to be a learning tool for a bible study. It's a Hollywood Film, and should be taken as such, entertainment. Christians should know the bible well enough to discern what is entertainment. For some who worry that non believers who would be watching the film might walk away from a Hollywood film with that being their only and final idea about God, again is silly and small minded.
Any Christian who has accepted Jesus into their heart knows they responded to his knock. He knocks, and knocks, and over time some shorter, some longer than others, but every person who accepts him into their heart does so in response to his knocking, him initiating it. He comes to us, he died for us. To the non believer watching that film, it just opens the door, it opens the door to faith. It opens the door even with all of it's "biblical errors" as one might be concerned about, it still opens the door to a belief in a creator, in something that is bigger than yourself. That's the point the haters are missing, even if the film maker didn't intend it to.
It's the same with what I like to call "Pastor Derangement Syndrome" that so many Christians of today seem to be infected with. So many people are quick to watch an edited "snipit" of an interview or sermon and believe the point the editor made it to have. Yet will not sit through and entire episode or sermon of said pastor or evangelist to see the truth of what they really preach. The thing is everyone responds differently to different people. We are all different. If X,Y, or Z pastor is on TV and reaches one just one soul for Christ and turns that soul around, who am I, you are the next guy to criticize them? I certainly don't want to be standing before God explaining why I spent so much time badmouthing people sharing the gospel.
My ultimate point is with the Miracle of Easter coming, it saddens me to see so many "Christians" slamming so many other Christians or projects that could really help to change what we see in pop culture. We all know that pop culture is a total mess. Everywhere we turn it's sex, sex and more sex. Want to sell toothpaste? Sex. Want to sell a car? Sex. Want to sell a house? Sex. For crying out loud we have a TV Show called "Dance Moms" where people are dressing up their five to seven year old little girls in red lipstick and fish net stockings and false eye lashes, spending obscene amounts of time and money to ensure their child leave the competition with a trophy? Good grief!
I just think we have far more important things to worry about than to complain because "The Bible", "Son Of God" movie or miniseries or films like "Noah" are out. Christians are not complaining about things like "Dance Moms", "American Idol" (um hello look at the second word in that title please), "Secret Lives of Nashville Wives", and the list goes on. Christians will boycott "The Bible" miniseries yet not any of the above mentioned items. In my mind it's time to do a gut check about what we spend our time doing and or working against. Kudos when people stand up for Duck Dynasty and films like God's Not Dead, but we have a lot more standing up to do. That is unless you're perfectly happy with the status quo and the decline in the moral fabric of our society. On the other hand if you want to see more half naked Beyonce, Katy Perry, twerking, no consequences and losing your freedoms more by the day. Then by all means, boycott away... just sayin.
Blessings, Love & Music ~
Ava :D xo
www.avaaston.com