Disqualified

Disqualified not for doping or cheating but because he praised God for all of maybe 5 seconds. What is wrong with this picture?

I am a Christian, there I said it. So does that mean I am disqualified? Does that mean I can't participate?  What if I pray in public, will I be put in jail?  What about if I accomplish something amazing like winning a race and out of pure emotional excitement accidentally raise my hand to the sky and thank God for being with me?  Will I be told I can't compete and I just lost the race that I just won?

Well, that's exactly what happened to a High School Track team in Texas.  After winning an extremely important race a kid celebrated by thanking God.  Can someone tell me how this makes any sense whatsoever?  Why is it that someone thinks it is appropriate to punish someone for doing this?  It's not like he committed a crime?  It's not like he cheated or murdered anyone.  No, he simply raised his hand and thanked God.  Meanwhile we have a trial of a barbaric butcher who literally killed babies born alive and hardly anyone in the media will cover it.  Yet some Einstein at a High School Track State-Meet Qualifier thinks it's a crime to raise your hand to God thanking him? Enough so that the entire team is disqualified.  Hmmm... could our priorities today be just a little askew anyone think?

What I don't understand is that every day we as Christians are being disqualified time and time again.  No matter what we do or where we go we are constantly being pushed down, shoved out and not allowed.  We are told our beliefs are wrong and we must somehow get along and agree with everyone.  We are to "Coexist".  Coexist?  What in the world does that mean anyway?  That is unless you're gay, muslim, or basically anything but a Christian.

It amazes me because we have a society and media that is determined to punish people for wanting to be positive role models, Godly individuals with integrity, decency, morality, obey the laws and help their fellow man.  Somehow that is wrong.  Somehow we are disqualified.  Meanwhile we celebrate and reward mediocrity.

Jason Collins an NBA Player not very well known for his basketball playing I might add comes out as being gay and is celebrated all over the media like a hero.  He even got a phone call from the Oval Office.  On the flip side, NFL Football player Tim Tebow is criticized by the media for being "too Christian" and they think he should just keep that to himself.  So let me get this straight: bedroom behavior is important to know about and something worthy of celebrating/broadcasting, but one's religion is not.  Oh wait, unless the religion is Islam that is.

Just this week I learned that President Obama made it so it will soon be illegal to promote or talk about Christianity in the military.  In his first year in his first term he canceled national day of prayer.  God has been removed from our schools, public buildings and anywhere else he might be able to offend anyone.  What they don't realize is that God is Good.  Goodness blots out evil and darkness.  We have evil and darkness all around us and it's growing faster by the second as we keep getting disqualified and we wonder why.

A man was fired from Home Depot a few years ago for having a "Christian" cross pin on his orange Depot apron.  Meanwhile a Muslim girl sued Abercrombie & Fitch for not letting her wear a "burka" while on the job.  Check me if I am wrong, but if she were truly practicing her "religion" she wouldn't even dare step foot in an Abercrombie & Fitch Store, let alone want to work there.

So, why is it we have to bend over to "appease" all the non-Christian groups and interests but "We Christians" are constantly told we have to look the other way, shut up and learn to "coexist".  Even with people who want to kill us for our beliefs.  (Hello read the Koran, it's in there.)  If you ask me, those "Coexist" stickers are targeted at only one group of people, "Christians".   Christians are the reason Muslims are killing Americans, Christians want to cling to their Guns and religion.  Christians don't support abortion or paying for it with tax payer money.  So why is it that Christians can't pray in school but the Pentagon and other government buildings allow prayer rooms for Muslims?  Hypocrisy much?...

It's high time people do a little reading up on how exactly this country was founded.  Because some people are a bit confused on the whole Freedom of Religion thing.  America was founded on the Freedom "of" Religion not Freedom "from" Religion.  The goal was to avoid a tyrannical government who would impose a "State Run Religion" on it's people.  It was to be free to practice whatever form of religion you wanted, ie: Catholic, Protestant, Methodist, or nothing.  What we have though is a whole bunch of people in the government who are twisting the founding documents, taking them completely out of context and are hell bent on turning the government into a God and the end all be all source "for the people".  I don't know about you, but I am sick of being disqualified.  I think we need to stop turning the other cheek and start standing up once and for all.

The scary thing is that I wrote this song three and a half years ago, yet it is becoming more and more fitting by the day.  You see the more we take God out of everything the less we are "One Nation, Under God, Indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for All." and the more we become: "One Nation Divided, Without God, with Fairness and handouts for only the politically correct."  Or those who are not disqualified.

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

The Brady Bunch

Tom Brady and the Brady Bunch

It's 8pm and the coin toss is just minutes away.  With millions of Tebow fans around the world Tebowing in their living rooms I sit in the dark clutching my Vitamin Water Zero as I wait to watch what I know is inevitably about to occur: a debacle on the Denver Bronco's.  Yup, you guessed it, I am a Patriots fan.  Sorry.....  and even I love Tim Tebow, he is amazing.  However if it comes down to the two teams, I just have to stay tried and true to my boys in silver and blue.

Here we have football from the mind of a girl, (a Greek blonde Girl that is):

1st Quarter:

Tom Brady (aka Mr. Bunchen) strides out leading his team to the field.  Denver wins the coin toss.  Meanwhile I indulge in a healthy snack platter as I watch the Patriots chalk two touchdowns on the board faster than my manager Mr. Bricks can scarf down a McRib.

Commercial break.  OK time to check my Ebay app on my iPhone.  Low and behold I'm about to score a touchdown of my own as I pitch my bid on a bottle of my favorite Channel Parfum, Allure.  With only 1 minute to go I end up winning!  TOUCHDOWN!

2nd Quarter:

The Brady Bunch takes it to the Bronco's and I think I see Tebow underneath about a dozen Patriots, inside voice - "please God make them stop stomping on Tim Tebow".  I know this is so hard, I love my Pats, but I love Tim Tebow too.... rrhhrrh I almost think the Patriots started to feel bad too - as the Bronco's scored one touchdown.  Then only to answer them back Mr. Bunchen (Tom Brady) decides to toss in not 1 or 2 but 3 more touchdowns.  So I get bored for a minute.  I decide to prank Mr. Brick's by sending him a pic of me with my hair pulled back and tell him I cut it into a 'bob'.

Halftime -

Mr. Brick's texts me in a total frenzy.  He insists on Skyping me from across the globe to see my new "hairdo".  Ut Oh.... he does not sound amused.... yup he's pretty much flipping out. I text him and say I was only kidding.  Oops the Patriots are back on the field now.

I tell Bricks not to worry and I will skype him after the game.  The phone rings.  It's him.  Oh geeze.  Can't a girl watch a game without being interrupted.  It's okay because at this point I feel so bad for the Bronco's I can't take it.  So I answer the Skype call.  Mr. Bricks who is visiting his ailing Aunt in east-yu-peepee is nearly freaking out before I show him I would never cut my locks off.  He lets out a gasp, and it's a good thing I told him or it could have landed him into a McRib induced coma.

- Now back to the game.

Tom tosses yet another TD pass.  In goes the Patriots into a 42 to 7 lead.  Oh and the Bronco's score a 3 point field goal.  What's that?  Someone tagged me in a political photo on Facebook?  Okay, gotta login now and delete the tag... grrr.  Meanwhile I stop to see Laura Kaeppeler from Wisconsin was just crowned Miss America, (love the dress btw).

Back at the game.

Here we see Tebow tebowing yet again but this time its because he's getting up from being sacked his 6th time of the game.  What in the world?  I just can't wrap my noggin around this.  I have to have a hot beverage.  So I pour myself a k-cup cup-o-coffee/hot chocolate and top it off with whip cream.  My Brady Bunch is destroying the Bronco's & I feel so bad I can't even enjoy it! 

4th Quarter:

I text Mr. Bricks to see if he's watching the game.  He say's "no. I don't like soccer."  This leads me to believe he's kidding.  But then a few texts later I get to the bottom of it and realize Mr. Bricks failed in gym class.  He's not a sports fan.  That is unless you consider Nascar a sport.  He's got a thing for Danica Patrick apparently.  I am starting to think he spends more time watching her car go round the racetrack more than he is trying to get me my record deal....

Then before you know it, it looks like the Patriots have just about wrapped up what is by far one of the greatest games I have ever seen.  45-10 in a blowout game that set all kinds of records, now if we can just have a repeat next week.  Don't get me wrong, I am all for Tim Tebow.  He is an amazing athlete and most importantly a class act.  It was really hard to watch my favorite team beat the Broncos so badly.  However, in sports just like in life sometimes we're up and sometimes we're down.  The most important thing to remember is to always be who you are no matter what is happening on the field.  Just like the sports casters said, "Tim Tebow" will be back next year with a vengeance.  In the meantime it's on to the playoffs and God willing, onto the Superbowl for my Brady Bunch!         

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

Timing is Everything, Just Ask Tim Tebow

It's all about the choices we make.

You ever wonder what would have happened if...?

Sometimes we make a choice and the choice can be simple like do I want coffee or tea?  Red or white wine?  Hit the snooze button or get up?  (I hit the snooze).  Most of us live in the real world full of choices and not in a 30-minute reality series world where the only choice they seem to have to make day after day is who to get into a fight with and cuss up and down.  We all make choices throughout the day.  I heard we make thousands of choices every single day.  But, it's those choices that we ultimately make that  matter.

What am I getting at? Well, the other day while I was exchanging the 1980's outfit Mr. Bricks got me for Christmas this year, a friend who is really close to me and I were talking about the really tough time they were currently going through.  They were sharing with me all of their troubles and that they had made some really bad choices.  It broke my heart to hear what they were going through.  All I wanted to do was wrap them up in bubble wrap and protect them so they wouldn't hurt anymore.  But I couldn't.  That wasn't an option and besides, the sales clerk at Kohl's would have charged extra for all of the bubble wrap, just sayin'

So, instead of safety wrapping my friend I tried to express some Ava's Greek wisdom.  Ultimately, I said, it came down to one thing.  In life we only truly own one thing. Our choices.  Our choices are what define and shape us.  For example, in Mr. Bricks' case the choice of going to McDonald and eating a Mcrib and an order of large fries every day is defining and shaping his larger than life frame. Oh, umm, sorry about such a graphic mental image. I hope I didn't burn your eye balls.  That's not exactly what I'm really talking about, but hopefully you get my point.

We get to choose our thoughts and which ones to let wallow around the deep dark crevasse of our noggin and which ones we decide to ixnay and discard.  With that said, we all can choose our words and speak whatever we feel about those thoughts.  We can choose what emotional response we will have with that thought or series of thoughts.  Then we can choose if we are going to respond to that thought and how it makes us feel.  The choice is ours.  We get to decide these things.

The key however that most people miss, a key that even the Greek Blonde Girl misses from time to time, is making sure it's the right time.  Often we jump the gun and overreact to these thoughts and feelings.  Sometimes, if the timing is not right, the result can end up hurting us or those around us.  Or sometimes we hesitate.  This can have the same effect that can lead to regret and anxiety.

I'm not trying to be a Debbie Downer because it's not all doom and gloom. There are always plenty of those instances where the choice we make is just at the perfect time.  These are the magic moments that we find God in the details.  When we act out of patience and faith through prayer. It is through that faithful obedience when God shows up and makes things work out in our favor. Yep, chalk up one more for the Big guy. (No Bricks, not talking about you!)

God does this so He can get the praise and thanks for our being blessed.  The interesting thing is when you see this happen it can come in so many forms.  What we may see as a bad thing for getting every yellow light on the way to the movies may have been instead just God keeping us from being in a terrible car accident by delaying our timing to an intersection he knew a speeding car would be coming through.

What's my point?  Well, with the year 2012 coming upon us and 2011 passing away for ever quickly by the minute, we are given the opportunity to sorta "start over".  (When I was a tow-head little Greek girl in elementary school we called them do-overs.)  With each year we are blessed with a sort of "reset button" that allows us to make new promises to ourselves and those around us.  The problem is by mid-January  most of us always forget what we even said as our New Years Resolution.

So, this year, as you draw a close on your past and keep an eye on the future, keep in mind that the choices you make when rooted in faith, you will find that timing is everything.  God will show up when you least expect him too. He is always there to keep us in the palm of his hand, no matter what the "circumstances" may look like.  The person you need to meet will come into your life.  The friend you never knew you had will suddenly appear in your life or maybe the job you crave will be offered to you. And if it doesn't - just know that there is a reason. And that reason is called God's timing.

Remember as we head into a new year that the only thing that you truly own, are your choices. Denver Broncos quarter Back Tim Tebow kneeling down on one knee is his choice, but his timing is perfect because in a world where it seems like bashing Christianity is a new Olympic sport,  Tim has made a conscious choice to acknowledge God's blessing in a very public way and all of the media is talking about it! Besides, his choice hasn't seem to hurt the Broncos' record either! Just sayin.

Blessings, Love & Music ~

Ava xox :D
www.avaaston.com