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Living Water Towards Abundant Wellness : In Our Bodies In Our Feeling Life In Our Thinking In Our Relationship With the Earth In Our Relationships with Others and with God |
Conversation with a Young Friend
Ashleigh : I saw the pics for the Living Waters website in your Facebook photos. I liked them a lot. What do you plan to do with that Living Waters, if I might ask ?
Jeff : The short version : it's a website I'm developing, based on my 40 plus years study, experience and practice of holistic wellness. For me, this is legacy work. I've received a great deal in my life, and I want to give something back.
The name comes from a Bible verse, which I'll show you. But first maybe we could explore what that concept "living water" means to me.
Here's something to help you get on board : think about the words "living water" - give them to your imagination. What would "living water" be like, if you thought of different examples of it ? What would "living water" feel like inside you ? If there was "living water 'in your relationships with others, what would that be like ? What would living water do in the world, and what would that mean for it ? Give these words some play in your feelings and thoughts, and that should prepare you perfectly !
A : You know living waters would be like a king. Where there is water, there is life, it is the ruler. It would know that without it we'd have nothing. Think about it. To you I’m sure that’s like God. Without him we'd be nothing. Right?
J : Interesting - the “everywhere” and “ all-necessary“ aspects of it. And there’d be more. The term “living water” is in the verse - but in a kind of mysterious way. To say "it's God" could easily fix it – just a concept, and goodbye. What does that mean, really - living water ? How and where does it manifest, and what does it do ?
The term woke something up in me, even many years ago. I know the source - there's no question about that for me. But how would this living water continue in the world ? What shuts it off, and what helps it flow ? I began to look for it in myself and in other people - but also in art, in science, in human relationships. The possibilities intrigued me and started flowing in me. And so here I am.
And interestingly, here you are - stimulating me to think more intensively about an intention and path that's important to me.
A : Its relationship to us would be that it enables us to have everything we have. Even the things we would try to use against it. The negative relationship would probably stem from not being able to understand what makes it living, like what you’re asking now. So by granting us life and all the things we have, without understanding, we can turn against what enabled us to live.
J : Yes, because freedom is built into us. And living water though it would be, all-essential as it would be, it could also be to a great degree unknown. In that situation, things might happen that were - well to begin with, very strange and ....... "un-living waterly". That's pretty much the world we live in !
But my question is, what would happen if more and more, we woke up to it ? Recognized, honored, observed and considered it's manifestations ? This is what I want to do.
A : It's weird how much we think alike. I thought I was the only person to think about things like this. You know it probably wouldn’t need to manifest itself, because we would be looking for it. What makes it living ? The fact that it produces life. It enables other creatures to live.
J : Interesting. As more occurs to you, please keep adding to your picture.
A : You know I have some thoughts I’d like to share with you if you don’t mind, on things I think about. About how relationships are with people, with the young and old.
J : Yes ?
A : Here’s my view on how people could take care of each other. The young are mentored by those who are not yet old, and the old are taken care of my those who are neither old or young. it creates a cycle of relationships between people of any age and makes it so everyone is included. The young grow up to know to mentor the young and take care of the old and know when they get old they will be taken care of .... does that make sense?
J : Yes. If you think about it, that’s something like the old traditional order of things - but as if it would like to pop up in a new form. Like many other things - healthy diet, child rearing, relationships between men and women - relationships among people of different ages have become confused. New - or better, renewed forms haven't yet taken hold. Again, a reason to discern where "living waters" are flowing, and enhance that flow in any way possible.
I'm really glad you take an interest in these kinds of things. I like the way you think, and you do ask good questions. Now that we’ve come this far, here’s the verse that set me in motion with all this :
Ashleigh : I saw the pics for the Living Waters website in your Facebook photos. I liked them a lot. What do you plan to do with that Living Waters, if I might ask ?
Jeff : The short version : it's a website I'm developing, based on my 40 plus years study, experience and practice of holistic wellness. For me, this is legacy work. I've received a great deal in my life, and I want to give something back.
The name comes from a Bible verse, which I'll show you. But first maybe we could explore what that concept "living water" means to me.
Here's something to help you get on board : think about the words "living water" - give them to your imagination. What would "living water" be like, if you thought of different examples of it ? What would "living water" feel like inside you ? If there was "living water 'in your relationships with others, what would that be like ? What would living water do in the world, and what would that mean for it ? Give these words some play in your feelings and thoughts, and that should prepare you perfectly !
A : You know living waters would be like a king. Where there is water, there is life, it is the ruler. It would know that without it we'd have nothing. Think about it. To you I’m sure that’s like God. Without him we'd be nothing. Right?
J : Interesting - the “everywhere” and “ all-necessary“ aspects of it. And there’d be more. The term “living water” is in the verse - but in a kind of mysterious way. To say "it's God" could easily fix it – just a concept, and goodbye. What does that mean, really - living water ? How and where does it manifest, and what does it do ?
The term woke something up in me, even many years ago. I know the source - there's no question about that for me. But how would this living water continue in the world ? What shuts it off, and what helps it flow ? I began to look for it in myself and in other people - but also in art, in science, in human relationships. The possibilities intrigued me and started flowing in me. And so here I am.
And interestingly, here you are - stimulating me to think more intensively about an intention and path that's important to me.
A : Its relationship to us would be that it enables us to have everything we have. Even the things we would try to use against it. The negative relationship would probably stem from not being able to understand what makes it living, like what you’re asking now. So by granting us life and all the things we have, without understanding, we can turn against what enabled us to live.
J : Yes, because freedom is built into us. And living water though it would be, all-essential as it would be, it could also be to a great degree unknown. In that situation, things might happen that were - well to begin with, very strange and ....... "un-living waterly". That's pretty much the world we live in !
But my question is, what would happen if more and more, we woke up to it ? Recognized, honored, observed and considered it's manifestations ? This is what I want to do.
A : It's weird how much we think alike. I thought I was the only person to think about things like this. You know it probably wouldn’t need to manifest itself, because we would be looking for it. What makes it living ? The fact that it produces life. It enables other creatures to live.
J : Interesting. As more occurs to you, please keep adding to your picture.
A : You know I have some thoughts I’d like to share with you if you don’t mind, on things I think about. About how relationships are with people, with the young and old.
J : Yes ?
A : Here’s my view on how people could take care of each other. The young are mentored by those who are not yet old, and the old are taken care of my those who are neither old or young. it creates a cycle of relationships between people of any age and makes it so everyone is included. The young grow up to know to mentor the young and take care of the old and know when they get old they will be taken care of .... does that make sense?
J : Yes. If you think about it, that’s something like the old traditional order of things - but as if it would like to pop up in a new form. Like many other things - healthy diet, child rearing, relationships between men and women - relationships among people of different ages have become confused. New - or better, renewed forms haven't yet taken hold. Again, a reason to discern where "living waters" are flowing, and enhance that flow in any way possible.
I'm really glad you take an interest in these kinds of things. I like the way you think, and you do ask good questions. Now that we’ve come this far, here’s the verse that set me in motion with all this :
Living Water
1 Therefore when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John 2 (although Jesus Himself was not baptizing, but His disciples were), 3 He left Judea and went away again into Galilee. 4 And He had to pass through Samaria. 5 So He came to a city of Samaria called Sychar, near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph; 6 and Jacob’s well was there. So Jesus, being wearied from His journey, was sitting thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour. 7 There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” 8 For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. 9 Therefore the Samaritan woman said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman ?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”
11 She said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep; where then do You get that living water ? 12 “You are not greater than our father Jacob, are You, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself and his sons and his cattle ?” 13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”
15 The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, so I will not be thirsty nor come all the way here to draw.” 16 He said to her, “Go, call your husband and come here.” 17 The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You have correctly said, ‘I have no husband’; 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; this you have said truly.” 19 The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. 20“ Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.”
21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22“You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23“But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. 24“God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” 25The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.” 26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”
John 4 : 1 - 26
1 Therefore when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John 2 (although Jesus Himself was not baptizing, but His disciples were), 3 He left Judea and went away again into Galilee. 4 And He had to pass through Samaria. 5 So He came to a city of Samaria called Sychar, near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph; 6 and Jacob’s well was there. So Jesus, being wearied from His journey, was sitting thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour. 7 There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” 8 For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. 9 Therefore the Samaritan woman said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman ?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”
11 She said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep; where then do You get that living water ? 12 “You are not greater than our father Jacob, are You, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself and his sons and his cattle ?” 13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”
15 The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, so I will not be thirsty nor come all the way here to draw.” 16 He said to her, “Go, call your husband and come here.” 17 The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You have correctly said, ‘I have no husband’; 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; this you have said truly.” 19 The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. 20“ Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.”
21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22“You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23“But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. 24“God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” 25The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.” 26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”
John 4 : 1 - 26