From The heart of a Nine Year Old

The last evening service at the MP conference we were participating in a special dinner, which in reality was a cross culture game about poverty in the world.  I was sitting with Norma and the two smallest of our grand children.  Also at our table of 8 were our neighbor friend with two of his children and another man, Jason Mandryk, author of Operation World.   We were involved in a situation that was set up so that some at the table were wealthy people some were middle class, and some were poor, all based on chance as to who would be poor, and who would be rich.  My granddaughter not knowing that she was being set up by a world renowned author, challenged him about poverty and statistics in the world.  I wondered where she got her information, on poverty.  She amazed me at some of her answers and the questions she threw out at Jason.  The next day I was asking her about it, and she said she had been putting down some notes in her prayer journal.  I asked for her permission to read them.  I thought they were so great I wanted to share them with you.  She gave me permission to write these notes to share with you our friends in the States, and on my blog.  This is a bit of what she had to say. 

A NOTE TO GOD

Rebekah Davis 04/20/2011

Bekah:  Why God?  Why is the world so unfair?  Rich people get everything, medium people get everything.  That is fine, but …the poor world, it is so unfair Why do the rich get everything, like 90% of the food,  medium (middle class) people get 15 of the food and the poor get 6%.  Why God Why?  I love you, but I am curious. 

God: I know it’s unfair but you should be thankful to be rich.  Besides, I sent you to make it all right, and that is what MP is all about.

Bekah: But have you made any miracles for the poor?

God again:  Yes, you are the miracle now get out there and tell people about me so they will be a miracle too. 

Many rich people have a cold heart if they don’t share any money with the poor. 

I was told that after Mp, the hotel is going to be used for very important meetings for people to make money and get rich.  And if I could go there I would try to change those people's heart.  If their hearts change I would ask them if they could help the poor. 

Dock Caton 04/29/2011

The Legacy of a Committed Man

The Legacy of a Committed Man

David, thanks so much for your soft heart of sympathy.  I love and respect that very much.  But you know, I have a peace in my heart that I cannot really explain.  This is just another part of the journey that in some way seems hard, but at the same time is made so easy, because of our Master's grace.  Bob has just finished the course that I long for.  He has won the race; he has kept the faith and finished his course.  He is now in the presence of our maker, in whatever way the Lord has prepared.  As much as we have studied the Theological aspect of it, none of us know exactly what that looks like.  But whatever it is, I am sure it is peace, and joy that we have never known on this side of earth.  I am thrilled that Bob has hit his final grand-slam Homerun, and the crowds are cheering him in.  Only this morning I was looking back over my journals to find some encounters that I have not understood, in peaceful conversation with your grandpa, (our dad), and it gave me renewed peace of what Bob is feeling this morning.  It has taken me many years to come across the kind of peace I feel now.  And even at the risk of being misunderstood, and perhaps some even thinking I may have gone off the deep end, I have these sweet conversations with my parents.  And as Paul said, sometimes, I don't know if I am alive or dead, I just sort of feel like I have been called up into that third heaven, where I can see the peace and joy of all those who have gone on before.  It is sort of like seeing the entire chapter of Hebrews chapter 11 being rewritten, and revealed to me.  But really there is no way to explain it.

The only hope and prayer that remains upon my heart is that all our family, from the farthest of kin, down to the closeness of each brother and sister of each of our generations, come to know Christ in this hope and glory that lies before us.  Our brother Bob was that kind of person.  Though he wasn't the loud mouth type that I am, in his own gentle, soft-spoken way, he was among the greatest modern missionaries of our time.  He has touched many souls through his early adventures on the baseball diamond, through his years of service given to our country in hard and difficult times during the Viet Nam era, to the training of his children who have grown up and come to know the Lord.  And he has passed this same strength down even to his grandchildren.  He has passed on the legacy of our Dad in the acceptance of all people from all races and nations into our family by teaching his children to love everyone.  And the best example is what we see being passed to his children through Ron who brought to our extended family a beautiful young woman by the name of Yiun.  His influence rubbed off as he and Carolyn encouraged Norma and I to go to other parts of the world through their charitable and giving hearts.  And I have seen and felt this same strong character and faith in the words written through e-mail by all three of his children, Ron, Mike and Julie, as they responded in faith through the acceptance of our prayers.  What a legacy he has left for us all to follow and to pass on to our kids, grandkids, and extended family throughout the entire world.  Only God in His infinite wisdom will know how to judge the length, breadth and depth, of this committed loving, husband, father, brother and friend.  Only He could know the number of hearts this man of great character and strength has touched deeply for the Kingdom and for His glory.  I feel I have walked with royalty in being a part of this man of God.  I only hope you and Deb are able to see and know just a little bit of what Bob has meant in our lives, and that you will go on to live a life after such a pattern and example that he has left.  I also hope you all will hold dear and precious the importance of what family really meant to him, and therefore do all in your strength to help unite and encourage the uniting of our long line of extended family.  God bless you all as you continue to travel on the same journey.  

Dock Caton 04/29/2011

From Beautiful España

Good morning from the beautiful land of Spain.  We have been here for about a week now in this beautiful country that we have loved for so long.  We hope to fill you in just a little on our venture to date.  Time permitting, this is the venue we will be using to keep our family and friends posted of where we are and what we are doing.   This is Tuesday morning, and I have been up since about 4:30. We have been extremely busy, (12 to 14 hour days) but it has been absolutely marvelous, and worth every minute of it.  I had an unexpected opportunity to speak to a youth group, of about 40 people, ranging from 15 to 30 years in age.  Youth groups are typically a little older here, than you would see in the states.

We are currently helping with MP (Mision Posible, youth conference) doing a lot of physical work, preparing the conference area etc.  I think there are about 950 registered to date.  Attendance is down a little from last time, but it is still very encouraging.  We have been packing about three thousand books, and other materials, and delivering them to the hotel.  There are three huge skids of books that we have to get in small boxes, load into vans and get to the center.  Norma is taking care of the two smaller kids, preparing meals etc. and helping Deb with registrations and logistics for the rooms.  Micah and Nathan are helping me with the moving. The conference is in an incredibly beautiful, 4 star hotel, about ten minutes from the Madrid airport.   Deb has spent countless hours in this program, and has been working nearly around the clock,  daily for the past several weeks.  Things were made a little more complicated because of Giles' departure, but over all, things are great.  God is good, and moving in a great way.  

We are so thankful we have a group around us who know and love the Lord, and understand what the Word and His Kingdom are all about.  We really miss all of you but are certainly enjoying being back in the land we called home for many years.  To us home is anywhere we can find true believers in the faith.  

We would ask for your prayers for young couple who are neighbors of Giles and Deb.  They have been praying for them for over three years, and only now are they showing any interest in Christianity. They have committed to go to the conference, and I personally believe they are very near making a commitment to Christ.  They have come along to the point they have a lot of questions about religion.  They knew absolutely nothing about true Christianity.  We are praying that we may have the privilege of seeing them saved before we leave here.  Please pray for them and for us as well, that we may maintain the physical strength to enjoy the six weeks that remain, as short as that may be.  Love

and prayers. 

Dock and Norma Caton  4/18/2011

Continued Quest for Authentic Men

Consider if you will this quote from ACSM, (C) 1971 The American College of Sports Medicine. “Real-time head acceleration of football players during competition has been recorded by the use of a telemetry system. The individual players carry battery driven transmitters, which are concealed, on their equipment, while the receivers are located along the sidelines. Peak linear accelerations in excess of 1000 G's were recorded several times on individual players during one game without apparent injury.”

1000 g’s, wow, 1000 times the force of gravity.  Do you know how much energy that is?  Although having no scientific scruples in any part of my cranium that seems to me quite incredible.

Studies through NASA have shown that astronauts are said to have experienced 10 G’s at take off, on any given mission, with the norm being 3 or 4.  Pilots tend to black out at the force of 20 G’s.  So 1000 G’s to me is not within comprehension for the impact of athletes banging into each other.

According to Paul Zimmerman, author of “A thinking man’s guide to pro football”, a 240 pound lineman capable of running 100 yards in 11 seconds, colliding with a 240 pound running back capable of the same distance in 10 seconds; yields enough kinetic energy to move 66,000 pounds one inch.  Just think that is 33 tons. 

With my deficiency of scientific skills the best way for me to describe this is by telling you about the “blows” I recently suffered from Patrick and Mike in a recent knock down drag out competition in the professional sport of “Whirly Ball”.  Meeting these offensive steam engines head on at half court after they had rebounded and picked up steam heading toward the other goal is worth about 2500 G’s, at least based on the findings of the ACSM report.  At least that’s the way it felt on impact.  If you don’t believe me just ask Taylor or David.

But seeing all the mumbling, stumbling players stagger off the field crowned by a thousand G’s, it is a small wonder that at various levels of football, about 28 players a year will die.

But I have been thinking about kinetic energy; that is energy that a body possesses by virtue of being in motion.  My mind runs wild with trying to figure out how much energy goes into just one professional football, baseball, basketball, soccer or hockey game.  Think of all the people involved in trying to pull just one game together.  Of course you must include the promotional, TV, media, lighting people, camera, vendors etc. Can you just imagine how much energy is involved in such a venture, not to mention all the G force in the playing arenas?  Adding together the number of events around the nation any given week, how much energy would be exerted? It stifles the mind doesn’t it? 

Then, think of how many athletes, and professionals we have right here in the midst of our Ginger Creek Renegades.  Just think how much energy we would produce if we could bottle up say 1% of all the energy it would take to run that one professional athletic event. 

 I wonder if there would be enough stored up energy or G-force to equal one month of prayer and Bible study around the kitchen table with your family or in your triad.  Or how about prayer and devotions daily, or seeking out new men to come out to our morning breakfast; or maybe influencing new men attending the breakfast to become a part of our team or joining in a triad.  At least, with this kind of G force we wouldn’t have to worry about being carried out on a stretcher. Are you willing to accept the challenge as an individual GC Renegade, or working within your triad to put out a few more G’s in strengthening the Kingdom?

Dock Caton  04/05/2011