Category: the Thread

Thought of the Week 8-14-2008

“A failure is a man who has blundered but is not capable of cashing in on the experience.”

– Elbert Hubbard

Believe it or not, but I have been thinking a lot about failure this week. As I watched the Olympic Games, while witting at the hospital the other night, I saw winners, I saw losers, I saw triumphs, I saw blunders; however, I could not for the life of me find one failure!

It’s funny how we so quickly dismiss the person that doesn’t rate gold, silver or bronze, yet what does it take to even be able to compete in the games? I mean, we have to ask ourselves, “Could I have done it?”

When I thought about all the hard work, effort and achievement it takes to simply be able to join in on the actual games, I realized that THIS IN ITSELF IS SUCCESS!

“Success is a Journey.” – Fortune Cookie (note from one I ate on Monday!)

No matter the outcome in front of the cameras, behind the scenes what needed to be done was done so that these hopeful competitors could raise the bar, set the records and meet the challenges ahead. I believe it’s what happens behind the scene that’s most important in all of life.

If we are able to do what it takes to qualify, then we HAVE been a success! And not only that, but I don’t think that anyone who has blundered at some level, once they learn from it, doesn’t think about how much that blunder was worth after the fact. I embrace my failures so that I can learn from them and succeed later. It’s the blunders that drive me further, harder, and faster. It’s the drive and commitment behind the scene that leads me to compete. This is SUCCESS!

Here’s a snippet of an article I read about “Dan & Dave” of the 1990’s shoe company commercials:

…At the American Olympic Trails in June of 1992, the unthinkable happened. Dan O’Brien, gold medal favorite and marketing icon, failed to qualify for the Olympics!

Overestimating his ability in the pole vault, Dan set the bar too high — an epic blunder. On his first attempt, he missed. No worries though, he still had two more tries. On his second attempt, he didn’t even come close. By his final attempt, Dan was so tight with pressure that he had no hope of clearing the bar. His Olympic dream was dashed, Reebok’s ad campaign was trashed, and Dave Johnson headed to the Olympics alone.

After the anguish and public humiliating of missing the Olympics, Dan could have given up his dream of winning Olympic gold. He was the laughingstock of the media, and he had missed a rare opportunity to compete on the world’s greatest stage. However, Dan was a competitor, and he bounced back.

For four long years, Dan O’Brien funneled the emotions of his failure to fuel his resolve to make the 1996 Olympic Games. Rather than drowning out the memory of his mishap at the Olympic Trials, O’Brien repeatedly watched his botched attempts in the pole vault. Refusing to wallow in his setback, he learned from it, and he redoubled his training efforts.

At the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, O’Brien gained redemption and achieved his dream by capturing the gold medal in the decathlon. (August 2008 Leadership Wired)

It was Napoleon Hill who said, “The majority of men meet with failure because of their lack of persistence in creating new plans to take the place of those which fail.”

So, I guess what I am trying to say is nothing worth doing at least twice is worth doing at all. So, when you fall, get back up and make that failure your drive! I dare you to show the world what you are made of!

It’s not failure I need to worry about, but success, as long as I keep my focus on fearing failure, I will never win!

“Losers visualize the penalties of failure. Winners visualize the rewards of success.”

– William S. Gilbert

Have a great week!

d

Dustin Hedrick

Operations Manager

Burt Associates, Incorporated

GREAT THURSDAY MORNING EVERYONE!!!!!!

 

I heard this past weekend was AWESOME! And you know what? I didn’t hear it from any leaders or coaches in the church. I heard it from everyone else. I am so very encouraged that people are being ministered to by your lives and encouragement! Tony and David I heard did just an excellent job and I have to say that it is so exciting to me to hear back from the actual church community of lives changed and decisions made! Church, you are starting to really look and sound like the Bride of Christ!!!!

 

You are encouraging, edifying, preaching, teaching, living, sharing, telling, speaking, praying, moving, going, doing, loving, and being! WOW! And you know what is the coolest thing to me as the pastor of a church that is definitely in the middle of renewal and the beginnings of revival and visitation? The coolest thing is that I can already see that you don’t NEED me any longer! This is such an amazing place to be. I get to be the pastor that is not NEEDED, but the pastor that is WANTED! There are so many pulpits out there filled with pastors that are needed, yet not wanted, oh PRAISE GOD FOR THE health of a church that no longer NEEDS hand-holding, but longs for Fathering! So, with that said, let’s talk about what’s on the horizon.

 

This next era of church is about to become VERY fun. We will keep you updated step by step. The next phase includes some neat things that I want to make everyone aware of before I close.

 

1. We are developing the children’s ministry and will be offering an actual Children’s program starting next week with new leaders and a vision to develop our little learners.

 

1. We are building our Sunday services into a deeper worship experience. We are developing our worship ministry and teams, and working to build new teams for every level of the services. Get ready for a more streamlined service with even better teams that will be focused on making sure that people experience GOD and each other to the fullest!

 

1. We will be starting a youth service this Fall in November which will be based on a small group with a teacher and worship leader and some fun events throughout the year. This will grow into a ministry for high school students and a separate ministry for junior high students over the next few years.

 

There are many other great things coming up such as the Call in DC which is just a short few days away and a trip to Atlanta on November 9, 2008, which we are opening up to EVERYONE where we will be sent out by the Atlanta Vineyard officially and blessed as a CHURCH!

 

You will see more details on this stuff later. For now, be encouraged! OUR GOD IS GREAT AND HE IS GREATLY TO BE PRAISED!!!!! I am so very proud of you Tapestry! You guys are the best church in the universe! Have a wonderful week!

 

Blessings!

pd

 

 

Hi Everyone,

In case you haven’t heard, Jesus has been sweeping through our little church and many are being changed, healed and more…

And in order to keep a good account of what has begun here at the Tapestry, I want to simply mention that a few things have continued at this point:

1.      There have been a number of folks that are testifying that they have been healed of various different ailments or even sicknesses.

2.      There have been many different stories of people getting opportunities to witness or pray for their co-workers, family and such.

3.      There is an increase of searches on the web and activity from our metro area for the terms, “laying on hands,” and “healings.” This is a big deal, because in all my years here, I have NEVER seen those search terms in relation to the Tapestry Church.

4.      There have been a growing number of people that have prophesied or given words and dreams about the next stages of the movement of GOD over the entire US and world. And there is an increase in prayer and ministry in our church and other churches that I speak with around the world.

5.      More people have been contacting us than ever.

6.      Some of us are using various means to share the story and communicate with our various relationships to share what GOD is doing and to see the fire spread to EVERYONE we know. (Facebook, Blogs, Cell Phone, Skype, .mp3’s and youtube and so much more! This is very interesting to me!) I can’t wait to see the growing worldwide witness through these and more media of GOD’s move.

7.      There is a HUGE increase in people simply apologizing to others and reconciling relationships. The LOVE factor cannot go ignored. I mean, I have personally fallen in love with GOD and every person from my past and I want to take time to APOLOGIZE for all the mean and careless and reckless things I have spoken and done over the last decade! I have been so self-righteous and arrogant and I LOVE the FACT THAT I CAN SEE IT! I LOVE THE FACT THAT I DO NOT FEEL LIKE THAT PERSON ANYMORE!!!! JESUS IS GIVING ME A “DO-OVER!!!!!!!” I get to love HIM and everyone again. If you are reading this and I wronged you, let me know so I can formerly apologize. I would appreciate that opportunity!

8.      Lastly, it seems that EVERY person we talk to whether on the phone or email or chat that remembers the moves of the 90’s is stirred into revival almost immediately! There is something so significant about the immediacy and expectancy of this move.

 

Everyone is saying the same thing, and that is all of us need to relax and enjoy what GOD is doing. We need to take our time and soak in this Presence and spend much time in intimacy as we go and share and reach out. For GOD to do anything sustainable for decades and not simply do a flash in the pan 3-5 year work, we MUST embrace HIM and our identity in HIM. And then, we MUST rest in this. The greatest part of this work is THE CHANGE IN PEOPLE’S LIVES!

It’s like Jeanne said, the CHANGE in PEOPLE’S LIVES is the most significant sign and indicator that GOD is warming our hearts. This cannot go unnoticed. I believe that the change in my life is the BEST PART! Oh, Jesus, may I never be the same. May I ever be changed. I love the person YOU are making me!!!!

This is the original post on our site and I am forwarding it to you in order to simply stir up what GOD is already doing. So, you can read the first notes and posts.

Alright friends, this is a pretty good account up till now. I am interested in hearing what you have to say. Keep sharing your stories!

Blessings!

pd

_______________________________________________

All I want to write is that GOD has come and GOD is here!

We knew revival and the Presence was growing. Yet, now it is here.

The guys came back from Cyprus and they are FILLED with the Presence of GOD! As a matter of fact, Gateways Beyond School just became our number one school to refer our students to either before college, after college or while they are in transition. This school is revolutionizing the lives our our young people and now as an overflow is spreading renewal and revival through our congregation again. I am simply going to attach a group of messages that are being circulated in our community between the leaders and coaches. I will later post their video, podcast and other information about what’s happening, but they are right on time adding to this building Presence and visitation that has been especially increasing for the last four months! I have already had a number of people tell me that they have been affected, we had the most people come for prayer ever in one of our services, the service and prayer time went on until we had to literally drive people out since we had no more time in the school, it spilled over into the Ledo’s Pizza where we went to eat when Tony couldn’t help himself and shared a testimony before we ate in front of the whole restaurant and the stirring went into the next day into the meetings I had with church members. In general, this is GOD’s hand. Healings are being recorded right now and we are seeing more interest from the community as ever. We are only a small church, but that is very quickly changing as the momentum is building! Anyways, that’s just a couple things. I will later share about the prophetic intercessors that have been showing up week after week drawn by words from the Lord in to share with us that GOD has sent them from all over the world to tell us that we are getting ready to experience visitation and we will be a watering hole! Some have come from JHOP, Lakeland, and others. The emails are coming, the phone calls and all of the encouraging words.

At first, I didn’t believe it. It’s just been so long since we saw a stirring of the LORD, however, it’s been two days and HIS Presence hasn’t subsided. Plus, there is no denying the facts: There is an increase in healing, an increase in prayer, an increase in worship, a decrease in the amount of time between HIS stirring. It’s getting more concentrated and stronger, an increase in outreach and ministry to the poor, an increase in my desire to personally evangelize. The opportunities are increasing as well! More people are allowing us to share the faith including an entire metro train car on the way back from the Nationals game on June 7, 2008! This is NOT normal for DC! We’ve done outreach for six years now and given away more than 10,000 bottles of water and other such outreaches yet never seen a return not even in one convert, however, now, people will listen to me preach on a metro train car!? Now, people are listening to the gospel, now our church is being stirred, now churches of other denominations are finally wanting to network and connect and pray and preach and work together! WE ARE GAINING MOMENTUM! And it’s NOT just our little Tapestry, it’s a number of other small churches that we are linking arms with. Together, we are gaining ground. THIS IS GETTING FUN!

Sunday, after the guys prayed for me, I WAS CHANGED! I am the pastor, yet I have to tell you, the fire is stirring in my soul like it hasn’t in so many years. After I got up off my knees, HE flooded my being.

I truly believe that as JHOP and other intercessors like them have stirred over the last few years and as the Call has drawn attention to our capitol again and as this present election season has drawn believers to pray across the nation, heaven is being torn open and the Holy Spirit is gaining momentum in the DC metro area! I sense that across the globe, much like us, there are many stirrings that are not directly connected to anything else just like we are not, however, in the Spirit, we are all ONE! GOD IS MOVING!

I want to move slowly toward HIM. My secret time in the prayer closet is SO ALIVE AGAIN! If there is anyone out there who hears the LORD, listen, you can hear again! Isn’t this cool? HE is burning my heart, my gut, my ears again! Check it out. Get back in your prayer closet and see if I’m not right. Something is happening! I will share specific stories later of the healings and miracles JESUS has been doing again!

It is happening again! This is getting SO FUN! Finally, after 10 years of prayer for revival EVERY DAY and six years of work in the DC metro area, GOD HAS COME! I can’t wait to see what “the Call – DC” will add to this building visitation! I think the next two years will lead us into a sustainable long term season of revival and awakening.

You know, it’s been ten years since my college buddies and I saw GOD move as we went from campus to campus, high school to high school, church to church and saw revival spread throughout mostly North Carolina and the South East. I wondered if we would see it again in our day. And now, we are. It’s stirring in that 20 something generation and as an old guy in the faith now, I want to RUN BLOCKADE in front of them, running interference as these young guys carry the ball. There is a movement in this younger generation and my call to the church is simple, Old guys, realize that you are not the face and name any longer and thank GOD that this is so! You have now been promoted to Father’s in the Faith and as Malachi 4 says, it is up to us to return the Father’s Hearts to the children and turn the children back to the Father’s. It’s time for us to embrace a generation of Joshuas. It’s their turn. They run the ball, we guard them. We guard the move. Let us give them our pulpits. Let us release our platforms. Let us embrace our callings. Let us release our positions and anointings. Let us pass it on! Let us bless the children of revival!

GOD HAS COME!

I’ll write more on this later. I was just spilling over a bit and had to share.

Thank you Jesus for allowing me to live long enough to see this twice. I needed this refill! AMEN!

Blessings!
pd

READ ON:

____________________________________

EMAIL 1

From: Patrick Kim
Sent: Monday, July 07, 2008 1:40 PM
To: Leaders Tapestry; Coach Family Tapestry
Subject: No Leadership Meeting Today

Wonderful Monday Family!!!

Just want to say how great Sunday was for me, and it definitely poured over today!
Worship was great in the morning! Thanks Jason AND Big Yong! (it’s recorded… nice quality too, I’ll send mp3 to you soon Jason)
Sunday night was pretty powerful as well, I know some of you can witness to that!
Thank Jill, Jyak and Aaron, for helping last night! Ya’ll are awesome as always!!

So… officially, there’s no leadership meeting… yes, I’m disappointed as well, but look out on emails for some topics to bounce around.

Again, enjoy your day off, get that rest and self time in, because we need it!

Blessings and Peace…

Patrick Kim

EMAIL 2

All I have to say is AMAZING!!!!!

Worship was excellent at BOTH services. And the Presence of GOD that came in with these young guys is amazing!

I am so excited after sitting and talking with people both Sunday and Monday at what is truly stirring in the Tapestry. GOD is moving. The neatest thing is the increase in times that JESUS pouring his Holy Spirit out on us.

I don’t know if you have noticed, but GOD’s Presence four years ago would come periodically and we would be touched in the services, but mostly in small groups off to the side. Like Halloween a few years ago, right Pat & Seung?! HAHAHA!

Then, as time progressed, the time between HIS movings has decreased. Instead of it being months between HIS touches and visitations, it became weeks. And as of this last four months, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but the visits are about every two weeks!

I see this progressing over the next two years and organically increasing in our midst. I sense that the Father will continue this way. Soon, it will be weekly that HE comes, then at some point, every few days, then every day. As a matter of fact, I don’t know about you, but ever since the guys came Sunday and prayed over me, I have sensed this pouring over that Patrick is talking about every day. There is an increase folks!

GOD is visiting.

I am reminded of a year and a half ago, I sent Su, Patrick, Yong, Lori and Seung a text message that simply said, “He has come.”

And I knew that day that we were beginning to enter a season of visitation.

He is HERE. Let us slow down, let us settle in and let us soak up!

Now, when we begin to spill over as a result of our love for JESUS, we will SEE outreach become more than something we have to drive ourselves to do. It will become something that LOVE is driving us to do.

We are about to SPREAD the MESSAGE!

GOD has COME!

Love you guys, have a wonderful day! Tapestry, you are the BEST church in the universe. I love you all. You are making me into who I am called to be! Thank you. Stay FOCUSED and do not let any small thing side-track you from first love.

Blessings!

pd

 

 

Dustin Hedrick

pastor

 

Thought of the Week 7-8-2008

 

 

“One principle reason why men are so often useless is that they… divide and shift their attention among a multitude of objects and pursuits.”

 

 

FOCUS!

 

This is a very short thought of the week. I simply wanted to remind us of what is PRIMARY! What were we made for?

 

Let’s not forget about our FIRST LOVE! All else is simply a distraction.

 

dh

 

Dustin Hedrick

 

Thought of the Week 6-13-2008

 

“The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.”

-Hans Hofmann

Fact of the Day:
Excess consumption is practically a modern-world religion. But as anyone with a filled-to-the-gills closet knows, the things we accumulate can become oppressive. With all this stuff piling up and never quite getting put away, we’re no longer huddled masses yearning to breathe free; we’re huddled masses yearning to free up space on a countertop. Which is why people are so intrigued by the 100 Thing Challenge, a grass-roots movement Time Magazine explores, in which otherwise seemingly normal folks are pledging to whittle down their possessions to a mere 100 items. [ more ]

Be The Change:
Unclutterer is a blog that offers tips for getting and staying organized. Its motto: simple living frees you to simply live. [ more ]

 

I saw this and had to pass it on. You know, I think SIMPLIFY is the word of the future! I believe that we have just exited an era of OVER-abundance, OVER-use, OVER-busy-ness, OVER-activity, OVER-weight, OVER-estimation, OVER-consumption, OVER-the-top thinking, and OVER-kill in everything. I think the next era will be one of simplicity, peace, life, nature, rest, slowing, focusing, and rest. I sense that we need a real sizing down in everything. You know, it’s not about the one who has the most toys or the best toys, it’s about the one that enjoys what toys or the lack of toys he or she has the MOST!

Now think on that one a while! HAHAHA!

Have a great weekend and an awesome week next week!

d

Dustin Hedrick

Pastor | Optimist | Peacemaker

 

ohdangit.com