And it’s the first of many. I’m mentally exhausted.

You are reading this on Day 2 but Day 1 was yesterday.

Day 1 was the “ground zero” for all the myriad of emotions vying for attention and taking aim at every second guess.

I would have never imagined I’d be where I am.

As I sat there alone in my suit waiting for the orientation start – I wasn’t alone alone, I just was the only one in a suit who didn’t already work there – as I sat there alone, I had to keep reminding myself what I was doing.

“I’m starting over.”

I had to say it over and over because I kept forgetting and thus the whirlwind swirling.

Don’t get me wrong…from where I stand the landscape in front of me is panoramic, brightly lit with all the fire of future hopes burning bright on the horizon.

Heck, one day we may be able to afford a vacation – instead of taking one we can’t afford and then hating the regret.

But that horizon is a gift of peace from the Prince who promises such things.

And it all felt like a grace I have not known in so very long.

I know it isn’t Tuesday. But it iss a Tuesday I want to reflect on. Here are 10 thoughts for that day:

1. I find myself emotionally staggering between the desire to not forget that day and the near paralyzing fear of watching video of the towers being hit and then falling.

2. Bethany was sent home from work because she worked for a financial institution. We only had one car so I skipped class and picked her up in silence. So we spent most of that day glued to the TV. But at some point we had to get out. So we took our bikes down to the Katy Trail just west of St. Louis and rode till the dark came. All that calm and quiet and beauty was good for us.

3. I can remember being very glad Bush was our President. And I’m still glad he was.

4. It is easy for  us…me to poke fun at those who reacted with bravado and a simple desire to defend our country and whip the tails of America’s enemies. But such a reaction may be far more profound than the detached philosophical posture so en vogue today.

5. It is impossible to take seriously the position of those who think we should have taken no military action in response. Sometimes you have to do things you will never enjoy for the good of others.

6. I remember only being able to smile as a nervous habit over the next few days.

7. The most painful images are still those of people having to jump from the Twin Towers. One moment they were working and then they were having to decide whether to burn in unimaginable fiery temperatures or hurl their bodies into the sky and experience the cool breeze previous to instant death. That is why they call it terrorism.

8. Just eight days earlier we had casually flown in from a labor day vacation.  Because of my own fears and precautions taken by airports no flight since has been casual.

9. Less than 3 years later I spent some time at Ground Zero. I wanted to go but I did not enjoy it and was eager to leave. I felt as though I was gawking at a fresh wound.

10. We checked in with our parents at some point during the day knowing we were enjoying a luxury now thousands could not afford.

1. Jane Fonda’s Crush on Che Guevara (If you don’t ever read anything else I post,  at least read this.)

2. Winnie the Pooh’s Ingenious Culinary Invention

3. I’m wondering what my worship-leader friends think of this article.

4. I ain’t the only one asking big questions about evangelism.

5. Use the word “mundane” in a post about The Beatles and you will get linked.

6. 40 Behind the Scenes Photos from Star Wars.

7. Ryan Adams on 9/11 and His Reluctant ‘New York’ Anthem

8. Just three days after Labor Day, this.

9. Looks like there is a credible threat of terrorism for this weekend.

10. “Every day, iPhone users spend at least 1 million hours playing Angry Birds,” according to this article. Sounds about right.

(I know this is going out late today. No power at the house thanks to Lee. I’m at the library now with all the other serial killers. Hopefully the rest of my posts will happen earlier.)

And when I say don’t like ’em, I mean just that. They are just meh. I don’t hate the music they make, I just can’t seem to care about it much.

These are all super talented people. I just don’t like their music enough to ever miss it. Maybe’s it me. Maybe I’ll like it at some later time. Maybe I’ll win the lottery, get that pet dragon I’ve always wanted and my wife will dress up as Princess Leia (ROTJ?) for Halloween.

Regardless, here they are…

1. The Avett Brothers. I just don’t get it. OK, OK, they have a few songs that are pretty decent. But hipsters quote them like they are the Oracle of Delphi. I’ve literally tried a dozen times to get into them. All were failures.

2. Sufjan Stevens. While some of his music is interesting, I need more than interesting. Talented? Yes. It’s just all too clever and ironic and quirky.  I get the feeling he’s bored with music (much like Radiohead) and now is just trying to get people’s attention. The whole edgy ‘christian’ musician using profanity to shock is tired.

3. Mumford and Sons. I’d rather listen to Taylor Swift any day. Seriously. On paper, it appears as if I should love this band but I don’t. I do have hope for their second album.

4. The Fleet Foxes. The first time I listened to their album, I liked what I heard. But with every subsequent listen, I enjoyed it less and less till now I’d rather listen to silence. Often beautiful but never does it grab me.

5. Rush. Sorry, outside of Tom Sawyer, it’s just painful. Maybe if I were a musician, I would like ’em.

6. John Mayer. Guitarists swear this guy is awesome and I’ve heard a few songs that prove he has some serious guitar playing skills. But I’ve always felt like he’s just using music to bed women. However, my wife does often sing “Your Body Is A Wonderland” to me.

7. Jimi Hendrix. I have a lot of respect for the guy, just don’t like anything I’ve heard. Actually I prefer to hear other people do his songs.

8. Paul Simon. The Obvious Child is a great song but really no other song I’ve ever heard makes me want to play it again. Even the new album which lots of folks are raving over escapes me.

9. Arcade Fire. I can’t remember the last time someone said anything about them. This makes total sense to me.

10. Nickelback. I just don’t get why you hipsters like ’em so much.

1.  If you are keeping up with what is going on with Sovereign Grace Ministries…actually if you don’t give a rip, you need to read Taylor’s Story and Why Sovereign Grace Ministries Doesn’t Like Victims.

2. Paul McCartney’s Interview With Doris Day.

3. A TV Appearance By the Last Living Eyewitness of Lincoln’s Assination.

4. Get a raw deal from your parental units? Why not sue ’em? Good grief.

5. So you say you want an exciting vision for the church, huh?

6. Four Myths About the Crusades

7. Don Miller Remembers Tolkein on the Anniversary of His Death

8. “We will not change until we choose our heroes not by how cogently or fiercely they defend our position on this issue or that, but by how much they reflect the grace of Christ whatever their position.” – R.C. Sproul Jr.

9. “Adele’s ‘Rolling in the Deep,’ Non-Sexualized Music Has Major Influence on Pop Culture”

10. My good friend David Mackle knows music (he is also a great realtor). And he knows me well. So when he recommends music, I listen. A few days ago he told me I should check out The Decemberists‘ new album, The King Is Dead. He was right. It’s magnificent and simple and lush and full of musical landscapes for the ear and heart. Below is video of the whole album done live.

1. The almost 40 year old Dad in me is glad my kids like school. The 10 year old in me is scandalized.

2. As I type this I am sitting in a library inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright aaaaaaand they only have one pitiful book about his work. What is this world coming to?

3. My wife keeps getting better looking, which is remarkable since I thought she was strikingly pretty when we met. It’s like magic.

4. I hear tell of a time long, long ago when larger than life amphibians roamed the land and water fell from the sky.

5. I’m trying to think of a name for my readers…something which describes the people who read this blog. You know, something like ‘brilliant’ or ‘smarter than your average person.”

6. Note to self: Look in mirror before going anywhere. Ever.

7. I don’t want to live in world without Cuban Sandwiches.

8. I wonder how the CEO of Spam feels about spam.

9. Saw a book at the library called Great Mysteries of the Universe. Now I only looked through the table of contents but there were no references to Lyle Lovett and Julia Roberts. Should’ve checked the glossary.

10. I’ve thought all along that global warming was a result of the existence of a great big ball of fire in the sky.

1.  In the songs of Van Morrison there are cracks and crevices, fissures of gold waiting to be discovered while the young clamor for the plastic new.

2. If Dickinson is right and “There is no frigate like a book” – then I want my children to be owners, captains and sailors of one thousand sea-worthy vessels on death-defying quests for beauty.

3. Some memories are like money found folded in the pockets of a coat unworn for seasons.

4. We do not even live paycheck to paycheck right now but the riches of my children’s laughter crowds out the pangs of need.

5. Wonder is the lost needle among the haystack of instantaneous answers.

6. Beauty is a door into a world of grace. Turn around and grace is a door into a world of beauty.

7. The world will not see we are concerned about justice until our reputations are on the line and they hate us for it.

8. “What is good?” has been replaced by “What looks good?”

9. Ordinary life is the proving ground.

10. One thousand stars are not half as bright as the glint in the happy eyes of my wife.

1. The Washington Post is interested in what is going on in Sovereign Grace Ministries.

2. Beatles blogger extraordinaire, Matt Blick has been blogging his way through Abbey Road. Beatles fans, your mind will explode with information…in a good way, though. Absolutely fascinating.

3. NOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooo…

4. Who doesn’t like a good waking-up-from-a-coma story? Well, here’s ten of ’em.

5. I’m obsessed with the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright. The tragedy Taleisin adds to the fascination..

6. OK, you convinced me. I’m going to buy a go-cart Prius now.

7. I mean why would a lawless administration care about laws?

8. Damn, Tea Party.

9. This is awesome and makes me hungry for chicken teriyaki.

10. The greatest (non-bacon) customer service story ever told.

1. Echoes and Stars. It’s where the name of the blog came from and it’s about the glorious early history of my wife and I

2. Go Ahead and Be Nobody Special. Whether it will be the last chapter of my book like I want, I am not sure but I love this little piece of writing.

3. Ten Lessons Learned From Eugene Peterson About Pastoral Work. I’m still learning from and thankful for this man, his ministry, his books and increasingly, his Message.

4. Going Green Eggs and Ham on “Blue Like Jazz”. I’m not a good apologizer but Don is a good forgiver.

5. 10 Things I Say To My Wife That Make Our Marriage Great. Just go read it and feel free to use these yourself.

6. A Mother’s Day Sermon…If I Had To Preach One. By far my most popular post, I still get thank you notes from all over the world in response to it.

7. Christmas Is for Haters. This one was picked up by TGC and should be somewhere on the Chrsitainty Today site in December.

8. 10 Thoughts On the Present Criticism of the American Dream. If I had one post that I think needs to be read by today’s young people, this is it.

9. The Silence of Paul on Evangelism. Sometimes the Emperor has no clothes on and you have to say something.

10. This Peace With God. Part of a series. One I hope to pick up again.