***Give the world the best you have and you will get kicked in the teeth. GIVE THE WORLD THE BEST YOU’VE GOT ANYWAY*** Mother Teresa

Our ministry at KEEPERSKORNER has been up and running for the last year and a half. That means our ministry is just in its toddler stage and has a very long way to go before it reaches adulthood. Like any growing thing, KEEPERSKORNER needs attention and nurturing in these early years so that it will have a strong foundation as we grow and expand into what will be our adulthood in our ministry at KEEPERSKORNER. But, like any new mother learns, our young ministry is far from fragile and seems to have a very definite will of its own. Being just a mom and pop ministry has given us challenges that larger ministries take in stride but each day we are learning and figuring out what we need to do and where our ministry needs to go from here.

One of the greatest things about doing our ministry at KEEPERSKORNER is the phenomenal learning experience it has proven to be. One of the hardest lessons keepers have had to deal with learning is that we can not please all of the people all of the time. Our trying to keep absolutely everyone happy and content with KEEPERSKORNER is not a realistic goal for us or for any ministry in the world. However, both JM and keepers feel like we have been extremely blessed because almost every experience we have had here at KEEPERSKORNER has been a good one and enriched our lives in some way. JM and keepers are all so very glad that we decided to do our ministry in the way that we have–with each individual mattering very much and with our trying to give our very best to everyone who reaches out to KEEPERSKORNER.

But like the above quote says, you give your very best and sometimes you get kicked in the teeth. Keepers took out the GIVE THE WORLD part simply because we have found that much of the world responds to what we have to give with common consideration and respect for what we are trying so hard to do. But in every ministry there is that occasional person who takes the best we have to give and then turns around to kick us in the teeth for having cared about that person. In all honesty, this occasional person is not something we had ever been prepared to deal with. We just never saw it coming. But, keepers are slowly learning how to deal with this and move on with our ministry with the same commitment we have always felt.

GIVE THE WORLD THE BEST YOU’VE GOT ANYWAY. Both JM and keepers know that our ministry is very small and very limited right now. We see ourselves as one tiny drop of water in the ocean. Still, our hearts have the caring spirit and our pocketbooks seem to always stretch wide enough to help a few people each week. That, to us, means we are on the right track and we need to keep going day by day and giving the very best we have to give.

To be honest, some times it is very hard to give the world our very best–especially right after we have experienced being kicked in the teeth by someone we trusted. Keepers are very sensitive people and we can feel devastated by what happens through KK. But we have learned to deal with our hurt feelings or accept our fear when we are threatened and get on with the business of doing our ministry to the very best of our abilities at all times. You see, to keepers, it is of the utmost importance that we give our very best anyway–if that makes any sense to anyone.

Finding the above quote by Mother Teresa has helped keepers a whole lot. Very often, we feel like we are the only ministry that has ever felt that kicked in the teeth phenomenon. Even though Pastor Brown of SAVE OUR WORLD MINISTRIES has told us time and time again that he and other pastors have experienced the same thing–keepers have just not felt better about it happening to us through KK. But reading the above quote showed keepers that even Mother Teresa with all of magnificent work she did still had times when she felt kicked in the teeth for giving her very best. No, keepers are not comparing ourselves to Mother Teresa in any way but the fact that someone like her experienced this phenomenon makes it a lot easier for keepers to bear.

KEEPERSKORNER is committed to doing and giving our very best at all times. We accept that there will be rare occasions when we do get kicked in the teeth. But after we are, keepers will smile our toothless grin (until we can get to the dentist) and give our very best anyway–no matter what.

peace and blessings to each of you,

keepers