From the Publisher
Seek the Peace and Prosperity of the City in which I have placed you.
וְדִ רְ שׁוּ אֶת-שְ ׁלוֹם הָעִיר, אֲשֶ ׁר הִגְלֵיתִ י אֶתְ כֶם שָ ׁמָ ּה, וְהִתְ פַּלְלוּ בַעֲדָ הּ, אֶל-יְהוָה: כִּי בִשְ ׁלוֹמָ הּ, יִהְיֶה לָכֶם שָ ׁלוֹם ז
JEREMIAH 29:7
Seek the Peace and Prosperity of Memphis.
Jim Walker
Proverbs 5:15
Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well.
TThis month starts the all-important holiday season, the time of year that will also determine success or failure economically for our local charities and retailers. The Friday
after Thanksgiving is historically known as Black Friday because it’s the day that retailers start to make money for the year.
Imagine owning a store, going to work every day, paying employees, taxes and expenses monthly, and not expecting to make a profit until the last two months of the year.
Imagine running a charity that provides over 100 children
a home, food, clothing, education and, most importantly, a loving environment...but, not knowing until the last two months of the year whether funds will be sufficient for you to care for those same children next year. Imagine providing daily medical services for the working poor or daily meals to the homeless on our streets, and not knowing until the last two months of the year whether the funds will be sufficient for you to continue serving them in 2018. “Drink water from your own cistern” is a strange reference for those of us living in a city with abundant water. A cistern is a waterproof receptacle for holding water. Cisterns are distinguished from inground wells by their man-made waterproof linings and are often built on rooftops to catch and store rainwater. They are commonly used in areas where water is scarce or where there are concerns of water quality. Cisterns are built just like relationships; they must be maintained or the water will be of little use - similar to a relationship becoming broken if it is not maintained.
We in the city of Memphis are in a relationship with each other, and just like a cistern or a marriage, these relationships must be built and maintained for the good of
all of us. The economic importance of building relationships with each other by shopping at locally-owned businesses and supporting locally-focused charities may not seem as important to us as drinking clean water, but if our local business and charities aren’t successful, the city will become just as ill as if we had all been drinking contaminated water. Doing business with our local merchants and donating to
our local charities brings life and prosperity to the Mid-South.
The encouragement of peace and prosperity is the mission
of 4Memphis and something we can all support by Keeping
it Local this holiday season.
after Thanksgiving is historically known as Black Friday because it’s the day that retailers start to make money for the year.
Imagine owning a store, going to work every day, paying employees, taxes and expenses monthly, and not expecting to make a profit until the last two months of the year.
Cisterns are built just like relationships; they must be maintained or the water will be of little use.Jim Walker
Imagine running a charity that provides over 100 children
a home, food, clothing, education and, most importantly, a loving environment...but, not knowing until the last two months of the year whether funds will be sufficient for you to care for those same children next year. Imagine providing daily medical services for the working poor or daily meals to the homeless on our streets, and not knowing until the last two months of the year whether the funds will be sufficient for you to continue serving them in 2018. “Drink water from your own cistern” is a strange reference for those of us living in a city with abundant water. A cistern is a waterproof receptacle for holding water. Cisterns are distinguished from inground wells by their man-made waterproof linings and are often built on rooftops to catch and store rainwater. They are commonly used in areas where water is scarce or where there are concerns of water quality. Cisterns are built just like relationships; they must be maintained or the water will be of little use - similar to a relationship becoming broken if it is not maintained.
... the city will become just as ill as if we had all been drinking contaminated water.Jim Walker
We in the city of Memphis are in a relationship with each other, and just like a cistern or a marriage, these relationships must be built and maintained for the good of
all of us. The economic importance of building relationships with each other by shopping at locally-owned businesses and supporting locally-focused charities may not seem as important to us as drinking clean water, but if our local business and charities aren’t successful, the city will become just as ill as if we had all been drinking contaminated water. Doing business with our local merchants and donating to
our local charities brings life and prosperity to the Mid-South.
The encouragement of peace and prosperity is the mission
of 4Memphis and something we can all support by Keeping
it Local this holiday season.
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