"So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water. And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah. And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD showed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them, And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee. And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters." -Exodus 15:22-27
"...Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me." -Ruth 1:20(b)
These are the two references in the Bible in regards to my name. As you can see, the origins of the name Mara is not very promising indeed. It means bitter. But like everything that God touches with His love and power, just like the bitter waters of Marah in the Bible, I was transformed despite of my name. By His love and salvation, His mercy and forgiveness, and His healing and guidance, I became sweetened waters. Thus the name for this blog, which by the way is only a duplicate of my column in the Eastern Visayas Mail news weekly based in Ormoc City, Leyte, Philippines.
This was not my first blog. My very first one is Writings On Water, which I share through my Facebook page. Then one day, the editor of the EV Mail emailed me and asked if I was interested in starting a column for the newspaper. My initial reaction was a combination of different emotions --excitement with fear, thrill and joy, doubts and apprehensions. It's been a very long time since I've written anything! I don't even know what to write for the paper. What if I mess up? Where do I even start? Thoughts like these were reeling on my mind for days (2 days, to be exact). All these questions were not necessarily answered but they were appeased through prayers. I just knew I had to do it. I emailed the editor back and asked her a couple of questions on how it was going to proceed, and I also presented to her what types of articles I plan to write for my column, then the deal was sealed. It was on. The column Sweetened Waters debuted on EV Mail News on the week of June 13-19, 2011. And the rest, as they say, is His-story.
I enjoy writing very much. As far as I can remember, books and writings have always been a part of my life. I also come from a family of writers and journalists so I guess, it runs in the blood. And since I got saved by accepting Jesus Christ as my Savior and trusting in what He has done for me on the cross, I discovered I've got a lot to write now! I can't stop sharing His good news and what He's done in my life, my family and friends' lives, and what He continues to do. It is all amazing.
It is my hope and my prayer that you will enjoy my blog as much as I enjoy doing it. God bless!
