The truth is that in spite of the headlines the world abounds in all of these. We find love as we give love, and joy is a state of mind, not of the bank account. Peace is the presence of love and joy, not the absence of noise. Long suffering is nothing more than following the example of God. Gentleness requires practice and thinking of others first. Goodness is a quality that we can acquire by following the commands of God and obeying his will. And so with faith which the Bible tells us is the substance of things hoped for, things unseen.

Meekness we shy away from. It is usually put in the same category as "real men don't eat quiche." The Bible's meekness is not like that at all. It has nothing to do with being a pushover. It requires a strength that can only come from faith. The meekness of the Corrie Ten Booms and the Richard Wurmbrandts of the world--suffering without losing faith-- these should set our example.

Temperance is possibly the strongest of all the gifts be cause it encompasses the art of saying NO. It is always easier to go around the mud puddle than to get the mud off the shoes. It is easier to say no to the temptations of the day than to live with the consequences. A segment of our population is dying of AIDS and, worse, they are systematically spreading it to others because they have not learned to obey God or to say NO. Young men and women today are taking chances with their lives with narcotics which may lead to a painful and very quick death because they won't say NO.

Let me share a little poem with you, written by our old friend Anonymous:

GETTING OUT OF THE WAY

A badger met a skunk one day
Who would not share the right of way
And raised his battle flag and said,
"If you want trouble, just come ahead."
The badger said, "You little squirt.
You are a stinker--mean as dirt.
But since you have got so much B.O.,
I will step aside and let you go."
The-moral in this episode
Can serve you well along life's road:
Stay clear of all that could defile,
Though it makes you walk an extra mile.