Mornings with Chuck and Alistair

So, my morning routine is pretty consistent. Wake between 5:40 and 6:00 and out the door around 6:30-6:45 to head to the office. If I leave any later than 6:45 during the school year it adds an extra 10-15 minutes to the drive due to school traffic. Most mornings I listen to XM channel 170 FamilyTalk. Truth for Life with Alistair Begg is on a 6:30 and Insight for Living with Charles Swindoll is on at 7:00. I'd have to say, along with Walk in the Word with James McDonald, that these are my favorite radio programs. This morning Alistair's message was about the City of God and the City of Man and how Christians tend to try to take things from the City of Man and "Christianize" them with the end game of isolating ourselves from the City of Man (ie don't Jazzercize at the Civic Center when you can "Praisercize" in the Church basement). What we miss in this is an opportunity to be salt in the world. Instead we're just salt staying in the shaker...pretty useless. The other example he gave was about John Lenin when he wrote the song "Help". He was at his lowest and no one was there to help him. Many pious Christians were too busy condemning songs like She Loves Me and I wanna hold your hand to recognize that Lenin was a lost soul just like any other and was calling out for help.
If that wasn't enough to get your juices flowing, Charles Swindoll follows that up with a message on fatherhood. What a challenge!! Arguably one of the best I've heard. It wasn't just the don't do this and repent of that type of message, but one that really challenged father's to be the type of father than God wants us to be. It's hard to explain how the message was presented, but it was one of encouragement. He talked about the difference between quality time and quantity of time. He talked about how much our children look to us and our relationship with God and our wife. He then talked about the emasculation of males on tv and by society and how man are not to be weak, but also how men are to be tender. I think the perfect example for obvious reasons was Jesus. He was caring and tender, yet he was also powerful, bold, and controlled. I've heard that meekness is not weakness, but rather Power under control. As my children grow up and I see more and more, my son wanting to be like his dad, I pray that I can effectively model power under control for him so that he can become the Man of God who is salt and light to the City of God.