MY HOMETOWN

[pato]

Mana Abb,

Thank you.

It doesn’t matter if your letter sounds spiritual. It keeps my slumbering soul from burning. Sometimes there are instances that I would take it for granted especially if the situation is going steady and smoothly. No worries. I like it.

Mana, have you tried reading the books of Robin Sharma?

[Alibangbang]

Mana Abb,

Mana, have you tried reading the books of Robin Sharma?

Hi Pats,

Robin Sharma, I’ve heard of him but haven’t read any of his books. He has many, which one would you like to recommend I read first?

For source of peace, guidance and inspiration I read Dr. Charles Stanley’s books among others. His are Bible-based and he makes things real simple. His explanation of Matthew 19:24, Luke 18:25 and Mark 10:25 (I’m sure you know what these verses refer to ) got me hooked.

I came to know Dr. Stanley --- not personally but via email --- after 9/11th. I lost a very dear friend on the South Tower that horrific day.
Grace had scheduled a doctor’s appointment that morning and planned to be at work around noon. But, as destiny would have it, she made a fateful decision to come to work very early to take care of urgent business and leave just in time to make her midmorning appointment. Not meant to be. Instead, she came face-to-face with the forces of evil that’d vaporized her body, leaving a husband without a loving wife and two young children without a doting mother.

WHAT and IF are two seemingly non-threatening as English words can be. But, put them together side-by-side and these two words have the power to torture and haunt us for the rest of our lives. “What if” Ed did not drive Grace to the train station to catch the 5:15 am train? “What if” Grace was less efficient and decided Italy can wait another day for her answer? What if, what if, what if.

At that time, I had many acquaintances but very few long close, trusted friends. Losing Grace left me with three. A week after 9/11, Liza went to the doctor for a nagging cough that doesn’t want to go away. Days later, she was handed with the most shocking grim diagnoses… stage 4 lung cancer, Liza never smoke a cigarette in her life. We were mourning for Grace; our friendship started way back in Cebu. We lost Liza days before Thanksgiving --- Thanksgiving falls every last Thursday of November. In less than 3 months I lost two of my closest friends. Liza too left a husband and two young children.

I was in limbo. I questioned God. Luis didn’t know what to do with me. I sank into despair. Then, Dr. Stanley’s book “How to Listen to God” found its way to me (can’t even remember who gave it to me). Followed by, “How to Handle Adversity” then, “The Source of My Strength”. These are some of the books I go back to every now and then when I’m reaching out and seemed that everyone had withdrawn their hands out. They put me back in check.

Pats, by the way, I don’t pegged authors by their faith or religion but by what I can learn from them. One day I was reading a book written by the current Dalai Lama then soon after I went out to lunch with Teang Chea (our knit technician). You should see the disapproving look on her face when I ordered my dish. Well, of course, she was much too quick to assume I was a Buddhist.

Hala Pat sorry yahilawod sa ako. Give me the title of Robin Sharma’s book you think I should read first.

[pato]

Mana Abb,

Mana, have you tried reading the books of Robin Sharma?

Hi Pats,

Robin Sharma, I’ve heard of him but haven’t read any of his books. He has many, which one would you like to recommend I read first?

For source of peace, guidance and inspiration I read Dr. Charles Stanley’s books among others. His are Bible-based and he makes things real simple. His explanation of Matthew 19:24, Luke 18:25 and Mark 10:25 (I’m sure you know what these verses refer to ) got me hooked.

I came to know Dr. Stanley --- not personally but via email --- after 9/11th. I lost a very dear friend on the South Tower that horrific day.
Grace had scheduled a doctor’s appointment that morning and planned to be at work around noon. But, as destiny would have it, she made a fateful decision to come to work very early to take care of urgent business and leave just in time to make her midmorning appointment. Not meant to be. Instead, she came face-to-face with the forces of evil that’d vaporized her body, leaving a husband without a loving wife and two young children without a doting mother.

WHAT and IF are two seemingly non-threatening as English words can be. But, put them together side-by-side and these two words have the power to torture and haunt us for the rest of our lives. “What if” Ed did not drive Grace to the train station to catch the 5:15 am train? “What if” Grace was less efficient and decided Italy can wait another day for her answer? What if, what if, what if.

At that time, I had many acquaintances but very few long close, trusted friends. Losing Grace left me with three. A week after 9/11, Liza went to the doctor for a nagging cough that doesn’t want to go away. Days later, she was handed with the most shocking grim diagnoses… stage 4 lung cancer, Liza never smoke a cigarette in her life. We were mourning for Grace; our friendship started way back in Cebu. We lost Liza days before Thanksgiving --- Thanksgiving falls every last Thursday of November. In less than 3 months I lost two of my closest friends. Liza too left a husband and two young children.

I was in limbo. I questioned God. Luis didn’t know what to do with me. I sank into despair. Then, Dr. Stanley’s book “How to Listen to God” found its way to me (can’t even remember who gave it to me). Followed by, “How to Handle Adversity” then, “The Source of My Strength”. These are some of the books I go back to every now and then when I’m reaching out and seemed that everyone had withdrawn their hands out. They put me back in check.

Pats, by the way, I don’t pegged authors by their faith or religion but by what I can learn from them. One day I was reading a book written by the current Dalai Lama then soon after I went out to lunch with Teang Chea (our knit technician). You should see the disapproving look on her face when I ordered my dish. Well, of course, she was much too quick to assume I was a Buddhist.

Hala Pat sorry yahilawod sa ako. Give me the title of Robin Sharma’s book you think I should read first.

Hi Mana Abb,

“Discover Your Destiny” and “The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari” are the popular books I have already read from him. It’s a typical self-help book though but the difference of it compared to the other authors is his approach on how he artistically combines religion and science.

You may try to read any of the two. “The Discover Your Destiny” is the sequel to” The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari”. It helps both for me.

Dr. Charles Stanley’s books seem interesting. I’ll try to search it in the Bookstore after I am done reading with John Sandford’s book called Heat Lightning.