This morning my melodies were all over the place. The tune from Tuesday was in my head all through breakfast so I started with it but then let things change and change to a totally different, livelier melody that never quite formed enough to record. .I was pleasantly surprised by its liveliness because I was dragging a bit. Is the melody a reflection of what's going on inside me or is it a little boost to help transform what is going on with me? It's mysterious!

Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Chey Ha-Olamim ozer yisrael bigevurah. Blessed are You, a Fountain of Blessings are You, the Mighty One, Our God, who girds Israel with Strength.

This one always troubles me a little. It's hard not to think of it in militaristic terms, which makes me not like it much. And I do think of it that way and then I challenge myself to move beyond that. Why does this blessing refer to all Israel when most of the others are much more personal? I like to think that it's telling us that there's strength in numbers, that there's strength in community.

Heading into work today I knew that the only way forward through my weariness is to find ways to work well with my colleagues, to take on our challenges together. To tap into the Might that girds us with strength.