Thanksgiving 2010

A BLESSED THANKSGIVING TO EVERYONE!!

because i agree with harold estes, i HAD to post and share this...

WW II Battleship sailor tells Obama to shape up or ship out!

This venerable and much honored WW II vet is well known in Hawaii for his seventy-plus years of service to patriotic organizations and causes all over the country. A humble man without a political bone in his body, he has never spoken out before about a government official, until now. He dictated this letter to a friend, signed it and mailed it to the president.

Dear President Obama,

My name is Harold Estes, approaching 95 on December 13 of this year. People meeting me for the first time don't believe my age because I remain wrinkle free and pretty much mentally alert.

I enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1934 and served proudly before, during and after WWII, retiring as a Master Chief Bos'n Mate. Now I live in a "rest home" located on the western end of Pearl Harbor, allowing me to keep alive the memories of 23 years of service to my country.

One of the benefits of my age, perhaps the only one, is to speak my mind, blunt and direct, even to the head man. So, here goes.

I am amazed, angry and determined not to see my country die before I do, but you seem hell bent not to grant me that wish.

I can't figure out what country you are the president of. You fly around the world telling our friends and enemies despicable lies like:
* "We're no longer a Christian nation"
* "America is arrogant." Your wife even announced to the world, "America is mean-spirited." Please tell her to try preaching that nonsense to 23 generations of our war dead buried all over the globe who died for no other reason than to free a whole lot of strangers from tyranny and hopelessness.

I'd say shame on the both of you, but I don't think you like America, nor do I see an ounce of gratefulness in anything you do, for the obvious gifts this country has given you. To be without shame or gratefulness is a dangerous thing for a man sitting in the White House.

After 9/11 you said, "America hasn't lived up to her ideals." Which ones did you mean?
* Was it the notion of personal liberty that 11,000 farmers and shopkeepers died for to win independence from the British?
* Or maybe the ideal that no man should be a slave to another man that 500,000 men died for in the Civil War?
* I hope you didn't mean the ideal 470,000 fathers, brothers, husbands, and a lot of fellas I knew personally died for in WWII because we felt real strongly about not letting any nation push us around, because we stand for freedom.
* I don't think you mean the ideal that says equality is better than discrimination. You know, the one that a whole lot of white people understood when they helped to get you elected.

Take a little advice from a very old geezer, young man. Shape up and start acting like an American. If you don't, I'll do what I can to see you get shipped out of that fancy rental on Pennsylvania Avenue.

You were elected to lead, not to bow, apologize and kiss the hands of murderers and corrupt leaders who still treat their people like slaves.

And, just who do you think you are telling the American people not to jump to conclusions and condemn that Muslim major who killed 13 of his fellow soldiers and wounded dozens more. You mean, you don't want us to do what you did when that white cop used force to subdue that black college professor in Massachusetts who was putting up a fight?

You don't mind offending the police calling them stupid but you don't want us to offend Muslim fanatics by calling them what they are, terrorists.

One more thing. I realize you never served in the military and never had to defend your country with your life, but you're the Commander-in-Chief now, son. Do your job. When your battle-hardened field General asks you for 40,000 more troops to complete the mission, give them to him. But, if you're not in this fight to win, then get out. The life of one American soldier is not worth the best political strategy you're thinking of.

You could be our greatest president because you face the greatest challenge ever presented to any president. You're not going to restore American greatness by bringing back our bloated economy. That's not our greatest threat.

Losing the heart and soul of who we are as Americans is our big fight now. And, I sure as hell don't want to think my president is the enemy in this final battle...

Sincerely,
Harold B. Estes

Snopes confirms as true:
http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/haroldestes.asp

When a 95-year-old hero of the "the Greatest Generation" stands up and speaks out like this, I think we owe it to him to send his words to as many Americans as we can. Please pass it on.

and then there were 3....!

email from Mom

a few months ago, my Dad gave me my Mom's Key Word Study Bible. unlike her old Bible which had many verses underlined and numerous notes written on the margins that date back 30 or 40 years, this one is relatively new.

on sunday, i saw again the verses that she had underlined on december 8, 2008 after her first hospitalization for a severe asthma attack that triggered a heart attack. little did we know that from that point on, the Lord would only give her 53 weeks on earth. and that thought made me very weepy and also made me realize that i really didn't weep when she passed away or even during the wake. but, on sunday, i couldn't stop the tears... it just made me so sad to think that we didn't know those 53 weeks would be her last...

i was also reminded that there was one email from her last december that i failed to answer. by the time i would have replied, she was already in a coma and that is still something that i wish i could do-over...

here now is that email from my mom. 5 days later, she would have that 2nd severe asthma attack from which she would not recover...

Dec. 10, 2009

Dear Pepep:

Hi Pep and all. Thanks for your email we got today. Dad and I are busy preparing for EL-TS Sat - Dad the program on the computer. Got all the ingredients for Saturday for special snack in your honor. We have puto maya and native chocolate and I borrowed your peanuts to add to mine to serve on saturday.

So sorry to hear about Yvonne Cadd Everly - she's so young. Thanks for the prayer in church for Dr. Racquel. The isolation ban was lifted, nothing contagious, she can now have visitors. Dad visited her this afternoon. I didn't go because I still have a bad cold. Am taking herbal capsule for this cold and I'm feeling better this evening. I'm not "barking" too much anymore.

Praise the Lord that Phillip and Ashley are moving into their new apartment and its great that you get to help them move and also stay with them and have your own room. We thank the Lord that Ashley is feeling better. What caused the infection? Glad to know that she will finally have health insurance. Also that Erin and the boys are doing better and looking into the possibility of getting a bigger place. We are in much prayer for you all.

I still have some listerine so I'll see if I need more then I can use yours. I placed your gift to us under our Christmas tree against the wall so it has a support. Good to know about Butch Soriano and his kind words about Dad.

If you have time check out CEF store for me to get some Bible stories or Missionary stories that we could use for our Children's Church story time over here.

I'll distribute the cards on Saturday - am giving the new students our Christmas cards. We're getting a little tired but we're looking forward to a three week respite. Guess this is it for now. Our big hugs to all the little kids and love to you all. Happy Anniversary and much blessings always to you and Dan. Take care now

much love
Mom

how can you say you're a Christian?

so, we've been here almost 2 years now and since taking over my mom's responsibilities at the church & with the ministry, i'm finding out some not-very-attractive characteristics of some of the people at the church here. and it really saddens me. i don't understand how people who call themselves Christians can be so catty, gossipy & mean to other Christians? watching them yesterday, i could only shake my head and mutter under my breath, "how childish!" unfortunately for me, some of these people report to me in one way or another, so i will eventually have to confront them about their less-than-Christlike actions.

much prayer is definitely needed for this type of situation...

how are you doing?

it's been almost 2 months since my mom was promoted to glory. friends are always asking me how i'm doing and sometimes i find it hard to answer. a few days ago, a friend from college asked me in an email how i was doing. after waiting a couple days to respond, i sent her the following reply: "i'm actually doing OK -- thanks for asking. there are moments when i think about my mom that make me cry, but it's not an overwhelming grief. just a sadness that she could still be here, if only... but, i know that God's ways are beyond our comprehension and maybe if my mom had lived a little longer, she might not have gone as peacefully as she did. even in a coma, her testimony still shone through as many people told us that they had never seen a person in a coma with such a serene expression on her face. i miss the intangibles -- how she was just in the apartment below us, how she performed her duties and responsibilities in the seminary and the church with such excellence, her laughter, how she loved plants & animals... those are what make me tear up... but, other than that, i'm really doing OK. it helps to be super-busy! i really thank God for being made to plunge into taking her place as soon as the burial was over... but, if i'd had my druthers..."

when i think back on that first text message from ptr manny llamera that said my mom was back in emergency, i really didn't realize just how dire her situation was. during her hospitalization in 2008, she also was in a coma for several hours but the medical staff were able to bring her back. i think that i believed back in december that they would, once again, bring her back to us. even after i saw her in the hospital, hooked up to all the machines that were keeping her alive, it still didn't really register. it was only after i spoke with the neurologist and after the brain scan results came back that it finally hit me that my mom's condition was irreversible. but, there was always a part of me that prayed for a miracle. i believe that God can STILL perform miracles today, if He so chooses. up until she took her last breath, there was still a part of me that thought she would open her eyes, look at us and say, "why am i here again?"

my mom's cardiologist asked me if everyone had said their goodbyes. she encouraged us to tell everyone in the family to call and talk to my mom, to tell her that we loved her and that we would be OK even after she was gone. all my kids called almost immediately, even though i know it was hard for them since they were half way around the world from her. i contacted my mom's sisters who called and told her to get well and that they were praying for her. they had no idea that she had very little brain activity and only the machines were keeping her alive. but, they meant well and i really appreciated their willingness to show their love to their eldest sister.

even after everyone who wanted and needed to say goodbye to her had called, still she hung on. it was really like she was waiting for someone else. i thought it was my nephew kyle. later on, i found out that he was having difficulty getting through, but i know that my mom would have understood and she probably knew he was making the effort to reach her one more time.

when the end finally came, it was still so unexpected. although the doctors told us that that day might be her last, we were still hopeful because her heart rate was strong although her blood pressure was lower than they would have liked. a younger sister whom i have never met FINALLY got through to the hospital. i held the phone to my mom's ear and after a minute or two, asked my aunt if she was finished talking. she said yes and i thanked her for calling and hung up the phone. later on, i found that this aunt and my mom had not seen each other for more than 50 years!!

however, during the call, unbeknownst to me, because i had my back to her heart monitor, my mom's heart rate suddenly dropped down to 40-something. this caused the midwife, who had just that day started taking care of my mom, to take a sharp breath. after the call ended, she checked my mom's chest and it was very still. and just like that, my mom was taken by angels to her heavenly home and welcomed personally inside those pearly gates by her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

honestly, it didn't really register with me that she was already gone. she just went so peacefully! throughout her 19 days in the hospital, she never once lost the look of peace and serenity on her face. everyone who visited her, especially her doctors, commented that they have never seen anyone in her condition look so peaceful! remembering that look has brought me much comfort because i know that it was all of God that she was peaceful. she was ready to go. she had been ready in 2008 when she had her last asthma attack. however, God gave her one more year and then He said, "Marge, it's really time for you to come home."

God's timing and His ways are REALLY BEYOND all comprehension. i won't lie -- i would give anything to have her still here with us! i really thought she would be around for her 90th birthday -- we always thought she was such a strong woman!! there are so many things i wish i had done that might have helped keep her with us a little longer. but, i have to rest in the fact that GOD had my mom's days numbered from the very beginning of her life and He knew that she would be in heaven 27 days before her 80th birthday.

oh, i know i'll have many more moments of sadness and many tears will be shed because it's so hard to lose your mother. but i KNOW i will see her again someday and that keeps me grounded, keeps me moving forward, keeps me focused on the ministry here in cebu that she helped start with my dad. i know she would want me to pick up the baton, continue the work that she did with such efficiency and excellence, and run the race until it's my turn for the Lord to call me home.

Mom in Narnian Glory

January 29, 2010

my mom, Dr Marge Alcala Isidro, would have turned 80 today. she was so looking forward to having a birthday dinner complete with roasted turkey from the States. while i was in the states last november/ december, she kept reminding me about it. she wanted to make sure i didn't forget... i wasn't able to buy the turkey because we had to rush back after we were told she was in a coma. but, when i arrived back in cebu, i checked her freezer and she already had a turkey in there... maybe she wanted to serve 2 turkeys...! anyway, we probably won't have the turkey until november--for Thanksgiving.

we'll be at the cemetery this morning to celebrate her life and to thank God for giving her to our family for almost 56 years... i'm thankful that she was able to meet 2 of her great-grandchildren. i know she was looking forward to getting to know jonah & jaelyn. she was SO PROUD of her great-grandkids! every time she received pictures of them via email she would print a copy and post them in the EL-TS classroom for all the students to enjoy...! i like to think that she has met great-grandbaby #5 and is enjoying him/her in "Narnian glory."

"Narnian glory" is what my sister said she's written in her calendar for this day... i think my mom would have smiled at that!