The Prize

Through the darkest of times we still have a hope...

It's that time again, the time of year when I find myself day dreaming about flip-flops and wishing the white stuff would disappear for good. It's also awards season... the time of year when eyeballs around the world tune into see who takes home the golden statue.

Personally I was surprised at the Golden Globes snubs this year. There were some pretty fantastic films that didn't even get a mention. Funny to see what was celebrated while the one film that has the possibility to perhaps make the biggest impact on people was sadly missing... Unbroken. Not just because I was first in line to see it on Christmas Eve with my family and a bucket of popcorn in my little hands and a cup of Dunkin's hidden in my bag either.

Not to knock any of the other films but Unbroken was not only superbly produced, but it has the potential to change lives. If you're thinking; yeah, yeah a big budget Hollywood film made by a big Hollywood star how could it be anything beyond all the narcissistic tabloid hullabaloo?... hear me out. Unbroken is a true story unlike anything anyone in my lifetime can even comprehend living through, but it's also just the beginning of the story. The film leaves off when the hero returns home. That is where his journey really begins.

Unbroken tells the story of Louis Zamperini, a World War II prisoner of war survivor. It details his gripping experience including 47 days floating on a raft in shark-infested waters in the Pacific Ocean. While the film details much of Zamperini’s life, including his Olympic career as a distance runner, it only shines a light on part of his story. Perhaps the best part is told not by a big Hollywood studio or star, but by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

Filmed before Hollywood came calling "Louis Zamperini: Captured By Grace" tells the story of his life after returning home a hero. Through the power of the Gospel and his experience at the 1949 Billy Graham Crusade in Los Angeles, Louis overcame alcoholism, night terrors and a failing marriage to live a joyous and full Christ-centered life until his passing at age 97. Along the way he inspired millions. (To learn more about seeing it - click here)

We can get upset or complain about the things we see as problems. The economy, the weather (guilty as charged), global unrest, pop culture run amuck, and on and on. I however don't think anything we face today compares to what he lived through. Not only Louis Zamperini, but also all of the other men and women of The Greatest Generation. Many have no idea what price was paid for the lives we have. The world might look a lot different today had it not been for their courage, strength and determination.

What I love most about his story is that as dark as it got he was never really alone. A man who didn't really know a lot about faith, or grace: while he was out there floating on a raft in shark infested waters he made a promise to God that if he survived he would serve him the rest of his life. A promise that was long forgotten after being rescued from that raft, captured, thrown into one of the worst Japanese prison camps ever, living through years of brutal torture and starvation, and then actual rescue when the war was over. It wasn’t until he was home and his life was falling apart due in part from suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder while attending that Billy Graham rally that he remembered that promise. While telling his story he says when he remembered he stood up without hesitation and gave his life to Christ. Once he did for the first time the nightmares were gone. The anger and desire for revenge were also gone.

He spent the rest of his life as a Christian Inspirational speaker focusing on forgiveness. His story was hard, it was brutal, and none of it made any sense at the time he was going through it. As a boy he overcame going from a troubled youth to an Olympic Athlete. It was his strength and determination that got him through that part of his life and it were those same qualities that helped him to survive his ordeal and go onto become a hero. He also had help from above. When looking back on his life it's hard not to see the fingerprints of God all around.

So am I surprised that a film that has the power to impact people in such a way was snubbed by a liberal leaning secular organization? Not really. I hope it won't be the same case with the Oscars. Because I suspect that after watching the film viewers will get curious to what happened after the movie ends and discover for themselves the rest of the story. Where he not only lived out the miracle of grace but went onto to share it with countless others along the way. That in my opinion is the best prize. So I do hope it will be included in order to be exposed to people across the globe.

Something I also hope to do with my music. Though I've spent a large part of my life chasing after a "prize" success in the music industry... I've come to understand the real prizes of life are not what we necessarily think they are. That's why I'm working on my first faith based Contemporary Christian Music Album. My hope is to inspire people to be strong, courageous, to never quit, but most importantly to share the love of Jesus. To let people know they really are something beautiful, and to believe that no matter how far they've gone, there is someone who cares, who loves them and thinks they really are something worth dying for.

"I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippines 4:13 (NIV) 

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

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

Damned If Ya Do Damned If Ya don't

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

60 Minutes

If you only had 60 minutes left, what would you do?

I am not sure why I was thinking about this, but I was wondering if I only had 60 minutes to live what would I do? Where would I go? Who would I want to talk to or go see? Would I even want to know that I only had 60 minutes left? I think I would want to know... because I could then at least enjoy the last 60 minutes doing something that brought me a great deal of pleasure. 

A few years ago when I had an apartment in Brooklyn I heard someone in the building died in the laundry room. Yep, right there in the laundry room - sometime between adding the fabric softener and the spin cycle she dropped dead. I can't believe she would have chosen to spend the last 60 minutes of her life plugging quarters into a Maytag and waiting for the washing machine to quit spinning.  I have often thought about that lady from Apt B4 and its made me want to be a little more prepared.

So, in case I get to know when my last 60 minutes of my life will be, here is a list of options I can choose from on how to spend that magical hour. These are in no particular order it's just how they followed out of my Greek coconut as I was writing this.

• Read the Bible
• Get a tattoo of a Grammy Award so I can die saying I had a Grammy
• Line up my sneakers so they can be buried with me (I am not joking folks)
• Write one last song
• Get a cup a cup of coffee and savior it. Although I know they must have coffee in heaven otherwise it would be Hell, just sayin'
• Look at my To Do List make sure there is nothing left to do
• Get one last slice of Pizza
• I can't work out because that takes longer than an hour. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!
• Call my family and friends and tell them how much I love them. Oh what a shame Mr. Bricks' cell phone would be "busy" and I couldn't tell him anything. I wonder how long it would take him to realize I had kicked the bucket? An hour, a day, a week...longer?
• Go to a nursing home and give an impromptu concert to the residence. I just adore older people.
• Listen to my favorites songs on my iPod
• Go outside and smell the fresh cut grass and fresh flowers. Note to self: Stay away from Poison oak. I don't want to be standing at the Pearly Gates waiting for St. Peter and be all scratchy and itchy.
• Play with my four dogs and tell them how much I love them
• Make sure curling iron, coffee maker and iron are all unplugged
• Go to Kohl's one last time (Hey I gotta use up all of my Kohl's Cash)
• Get a soft serve vanilla and chocolate swirl frozen yogurt with chocolate sprinkles
• Call the Make-A-Wish foundation and ask for 60 more minutes (repeat as needed)

So what would you do?

Blessings,

Ava

xox