Take Flight

My sister and favorite photographer, Cheryl, told one of her friends that I "help bloggers blog" and it stopped me in my tracks. She summed me up in three words. Helping bloggers blog really is something I LOVE doing. So when that idea collided with Michael Hyatt's post on strengths, the dots were connected and the ideas flew.

Naturally, I consulted with the other half of my brain, Joanne, and I even gave the Jewels of Encouragement group a heads up to be on the watch for another one of my wacky ideas, so they're braced for something along the lines of the vlogs we did last week (which was termed wacky by a few *wink*). And they're right. Take Flight is along those lines...

Take Flight is simply officializing something I've been doing for months now... posting the wild, wacky, hare-brained ideas and challenges I have for blog posts and inviting others to join me. We all know what it's like to be at a loss for what to blog about--hopefully this will help jump start a few posts.

The purpose of Take Flight...

• jump start blog posts
• provide connection
• introduce people to others
• HAVE FUN
• stretch beyond our comfort zones sometimes so we don't stagnate in the comfy little boxes we've created for ourselves
• try new things (it's only by trying them that you can see if you like them)

Here's the details:

• Take Flight will be a semi-regular feature here--semi-regular because I will simply post the ideas as they come, most likely on Mondays. Why? Because I'm too free-spirited to add one more scheduled blog post day to my calendar. I've learned I need wiggle room in my routine or I feel locked in a straight jacket and that eventually drives me to my cave. 
• A week later I'll put up my personal post of the challenge/post jump starter and put up the linky. I won't ask you to do it unless I'm willing to do it myself.
  Fine print: If something arises and prevents me from doing the post, I will simply post my apology and the linky tool for others to link up. Life happens to all of us sometimes.
• Anyone is welcome to post and link up. Don't blog (yet)? Now's a great time to start! Or, post on your Facebook wall, grab the direct link to that particular post and post it here. Or even just use the comment section to participate!
• You are welcome to post anytime and link with us--even if it's long after the post has gone up.
• Everyone is invited to participate at any time. It's never too late!
• Pick and choose the ideas you want to use. This is to serve you, not you serve it!
• Feel free to ROFL at me, throw rotten tomatoes (cyber ones, please! LoL), remind me I'm crazy, whatever. ;-)

For the fun of it, you can earn your wings. *eye roll* --kind of like a certificate of achievement or scout badge or ...whatever you want to call it.

• For every four ideas/challenges you post, I'll send you a badge for your blog and if you don't want to use them, that's fine!!
• Vlog participants already have one post! Woot! (Didn't vlog? You still can! *grin*)
• a2z: Take 2 does not count as posts for the award badges, but of course you're welcome to grab one of those buttons and add to your badge collection! *wink*

Here are the first three badges, in case you're curious...



Feel free to grab the button for Take Flight and join us occasionally...or all the time...as we take flight.

Button code for the square 125px image:<center><a href="http://www.pattywysong.com/2012/01/take-flight.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Take Flight. Patty Wysong Helping bloggers blog." border="0" src="http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p194/impeej/Backgrounds/TakeFlightSqButton.jpg" /></a></center><br />
Button code for the 325px wide image:<center><a href="http://www.pattywysong.com/2012/01/take-flight.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Take Flight. Patty Wysong Helping bloggers blog." border="0" src="http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p194/impeej/Backgrounds/TakeFlightButton.jpg" /></a></center><br />

Tweet with us! Use the hashtag #TakeFlt  (yes, I'm on Twitter and I may even tweet. LoL)

Take Flight will be easily accessible on my blog through the tabs and sidebar. Invite a friend along.

Tomorrow the first post idea/challenge will go up.
Hope to see you then!
Click here to see all the Take Flight ideas.  You can also find them in the sidebar and in the tab on Series and Topics above. ;-)

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Who Ya Gonna Call?

“Why didn't you call me? I would've helped.” It's something I've said many times to my kids, especially the teens. But instead of calling me, they muddle through the problem, often making a bigger mess. I've done the very same thing, many more times than my kids have. (Hey, I'm lots older than are.) It's safe to say, this is nothing new. In fact, Ahaz, king of Judah, the southern tribes of Israel, did this too. (2 Kings 16)

Ahaz's enemies were crouching and crowding his borders. Things were not looking good at all when the prophet Isaiah met Ahaz with a personal message from God. God assured him the threats would not come to pass and told him to ask for a sign for assurance. Here's what Ahaz had to say, “I will not ask, nor will I test the Lord!” (Isaiah 7:1-12)

Hello!

The Lord God was ready to fight for His people, again, 
but Ahaz said No thank you!

Instead, he turned around and asked his enemy for help. He closed and raided the Temple and sent some of the Temple treasures to the king of Assyria (who had defeated Judah) and asked him to fight those enemies who were threatening Ahaz. The king of Assyria was happy to comply. He took the gift, fought those enemies, then turned around and made things even worse for Judah by inserting his vile god in their midst. (2 Chron 28:16-22) It was due to idolatry that Israel and Judah both were taken into captivity.

Yanno, we have similar situations as Ahaz.

• We have God's promised presence and help. The Lord is the one who goes with you; He will be with youl He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed. Deut. 31:8 NAS
• We have the same choice—turn to God and ask for His help, or turn elsewhere. We even have the choice to turn to the enemy.
• We have the same consequences for not turning to God. Captivity in enemy territory.

The Lord is with you when you are with Him. And if you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.
~2 Chron 15:2

So tell me, who ya gonna call?

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12 in '12 Invitation

Okay, so Sunday night, sitting in church before the service began, I had an idea pop into my head...

12 in '12

That was it. The whole idea. And I've been puzzling over it since then.
12 whats in '12?!

So I did some digging...

In the Bible, some numbers have special significance and 12 is one of those numbers. Just think about all the 12s we see...

• The 12 tribes of Israel.
• 12 Minor Prophets in the Old Testament.
• 12 Apostles.
• Look at all the 12s in the book of Revelation. (One site said it's in there 22 times of the 187 times it the Bible.)
• The first recorded words of Jesus were when He was 12 years old, in the Temple.
• Genesis 12, the 12th chapter of the Bible, is where God calls Abram out of where he was and told him to go to a place God would tell him. God called a people out to be a nation ruled by God and be a testimony to the world of the One True God. Abram was to walk by faith (and so are we).

There's no doubt about it, the number 12 is one of those special numbers and since this is 2012, I thought it'd be cool to do 12 things in 2012. That got me thinking, which can be a scary proposition.

A brainstorming session with Joanne turned into a full blown brain blizzard that sent me to clean the kitchen so I could dig through all the ideas. Really. It's a good thing I did too because it helped me weed out the ideas that I loved but knew I couldn't possibly do.

So here's the deal, in 2012 I want to push myself to do 12 things that I wouldn't ordinarily do. I don't have my list completed yet, but will be working on it and will post it next Thursday. Here's what I have so far...

1. I already posted my list of 9 writing craft books to read in '12. I want to add 3 books to that list and read 12 writing craft books in '12.
2. Do 12 short vlogs. *gulp*
3. Go out once a month (brrrrr) and snap pictures--not just 12 outings in March through October like I usually do. Why? To slow down and look for the beauty all around me on a regular basis, even if it's freezing out there.
4. Go somewhere scenic here in Southern Illinois that I've not been to before--there's so much here that I've never seen in the 20 years I've lived here.
5. 
   

Now, you guys know me (probably all too well!) and you know that misery loves company so I'm inviting you along. *grin* I'm also hoping this will keep me accountable.

Won't you join me doing 12 in '12?
Put together your own list, post it on your blog, your Facebook page, where ever, and start working on your 12 things. Each month we'll meet back here on the 12th (of course!) and report on how we're doing on our list of 12. I'll also post a linky tool so you can post and link up and we can encourage each other that way.

Our first post and link up will be Thursday, January 12th. Put your lists together and meet me back here on the 12th! 12 things you want to do in '12. Big things, little things, simple things, FUN things!

In case you want a button for this...



Here's the button code:
<center><a href="http://www.pattywysong.com/2012/01/12-in-12-invitation.html" target="_blank"><img alt="12 in 12. Patty Wysong" border="0" src="http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p194/impeej/Backgrounds/12in12.png" /></a></center>
Hope to see you on the 12th with your list of 12 things to do in '12.

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Focus: God's Faithfulness

This last week I realized one of the things that was really dragging me down: my focus. In one of the 1000+ comments on Seekerville's New Year's Eve party Tina Radcliffe said,

Tucked in the back of my bible is a saying from at least 15 years ago...

"The devil will have you look at how FAR you have to go-BUT INSTEAD, LOOK AT EVERY STEP YOU'VE TAKEN ALONG THE WAY"

It's important that once a year at least we stop and appreciate the journey.

That combined with things my sister Cheryl has been talking about at Sea Level 320 about storytelling and focus. She said

What I chose to focus upon is critical to what I'm trying to accomplish and convey.

I realized in all my thinking and analyzing last month I hadn't stopped and really focused on all that I did--all that God did in me. Missing that one key ingredient totally skewed how I felt, responded and thought about the upcoming year.



It's time for me to go back and see all that God did in me last year. It's time to celebrate those things. It's time to remember all God has done for me and remember He's brought me this far. He'll carry me through 2012 too.

It's time to focus on God's faithfulness, not my feelings. 
That's where the truth is.

Be sure to check the Cafe for more links to WFW

*Photo by courtesy of sxc.hu

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Me in Terrifying Technicolor

It's vlog day--the day some of us (Me!!) have been dreading for awhile. I'm happy to say that I didn't chicken out--probably only because of all the others involved in this scheme. Talk about being stretched and shoved out of my comfort zone! Man-alivin'.

But, I survived. Now I only hope you do too! LoL.

Okay, gang. Here it is. My first vlog, video clip, whatever this thing is, ever... And it's just for you guys, explaining WHY I wanted to do these vlogs...



Now, here's a real one...



Now it's your turn!! Post your vlogs and link up on the below.
This is NOT just for those who have participated in the memes! This is for anyone and everyone who wants to post a vlog. I cannot wait to see and hear you guys!! =] (And remember, I'll pick a winner(s) and post it next week when we start a2z:Take 2.)

Also, Thursday I'll tell you about 12 in '12. An idea I think could be fun...
Hope to see you then!

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a2z: Take 2

Back in May, when I announced the a 2 z meme (rhymes with cream) I never dreamed it'd be so much fun. I hoped it would pull me out of the blogging dry spell I was in, and sure enough, it did. In fact, it did far more. That meme stirred up my creative juices and I was amazed at all that flowed out. Not only that, but I met people and got to know acquaintances better and developed some fun friendships.

Since this whole Tuesday meme (rhymes with cream) business wasn't just for me, I asked the participants of the first round if they were ready to call it quits or wanted to continue, and wouldn't you know? They wanted round 2! We decided to start again in January but to keep the momentum going we did a short JollyDaze meme to carry us through the holidays. But now it's time to jump back into a2z...

a2z: Take 2coming January 10 - July 3.

Here's the deal:

• Anyone can play. Some of us will be returning a 2 z-ers, but any one can join us and we would LOVE to have you along! The more the merrier! Grab a friend and join us!!
• Anything goes. If you're pressed for time, pressed for brain cells (a common ailment of mine), stumped, whatever... a simple list will work! Or a picture or a verse—anything to get a post up. Seriously. Just make sure it ties in with the week’s letter. It can also be as focused or even a complicated post about a word that starts with that letter. Anything goes, related to the letter.
• One letter a week. We'll start with A and finish by the 4th of July.
• Tuesday's the day. Posting day is Tuesday. Or Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday. ROFL. If you're like me, you might not remember on Tuesday, so any day works. I don't care, but that brings me to...
• Let's link together! Part of the fun of a meme is linking together so we can encourage each other on. I'll put a linky up on my site each Tuesday, shortly after midnight so you can link up.
• Gift for frequent posters! I’ll keep track and the people who join a 2 z: Take 2 for all 26 letters will be sent a small gift. Last time I was amazed by how many made it through the whole alphabet!

Wondering what a meme is and why you'd want to participate? Check out Making the Most of Memes for more information.

And now, if you're looking for other fun memes here's some:

• Easy as Pie - hosted by Vonnie Blake on Thursdays. Quick and easy recipes!
• Fiction Friday – hosted by Karlene 
• Word Filled Wednesday - hosted by the Internet Cafe

There are loads more, but these are just three fun ones I'm very familiar with. =)

Memes are simply great ways to have something to post for those times you “don’t have anything” or are in a dry spell or rut or just want to have fun or gather with others.

How memes work:

• Everyone posts on their own blog about the week's topic (for a2z you post something to do with the week's letter). Adding the button to your post will help people spot you.
• Once your post is up, grab the url to that particular post and come here to my site.
• Here you'll find a Linky gadget at the end of my Tuesday's a2z post. Paste your url in, add your name and click Enter.
• Your name will be added to the list of links so people can visit your site. (Think of it as an online progressive dinner sort of thing.)
• Visit several people linked up there. It's how you'll meet people, get to know them and encourage them.

Grab a button for your blog:

Button code for 325px wide image:<center><a href="http://www.pattywysong.com/2012/01/a2z-take-2.html" target="_blank"><img alt="a2z: Take 2. Patty Wysong Helping bloggers blog." border="0" src="http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p194/impeej/Backgrounds/Take2.jpg" /></a></center>


Button code for 200px wide image:<center><a href="http://www.pattywysong.com/2012/01/a2z-take-2.html" target="_blank"><img alt="a2z: Take 2. Patty Wysong Helping bloggers blog." border="0" src="http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p194/impeej/Backgrounds/Take2s.jpg" /></a></center>

a2z Take 2 will start Tuesday, January 10th, 
with the letter A.

Come join us! 

And don't forget we're vlogging tomorrow and would love to meet you then. (This is for everyone, not just those participating in the memes!) Scroll down to yesterday's post for details.

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Writing Craft Books for 2012

Even though I feel like I'm still in a white out as far as goals for 2012, I do know a few books I want (and need!) to read this year. Since this is a very measureable goal, here's my list...

• The First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman
• Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass
• The Art of War for Writers by James Scott Bell
• Getting Into Character by Brandilyn Collins
• On Writing Romance by Leigh Michaels
• Characters and Viewpoint by Orson Scott Card
• Write Tight by William Brohaugh
• Plot & Structure by James Scott Bell

I've read some of these, but I really, really need to read the whole book so this year I'm knocking them out. Eight books in twelve months. Very doable.

And that's all I'm going to list for goals for 2012. I still don't have a clear cut goals list and I'm not sure about a verse for the year. And that one word I wanted for 2012? Nope.

In many ways I feel like God has put a blindfold on me and wants me to thank Him for it. So that's what I'm going to do.

Happy New Year, my friends! Thanks for being with me on this journey. You've made my time much sweeter. Hugs all around...

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