In Crunch Time: A Spirituality<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Sometimes it just all piles up--the deadlines, the endings, the "one-thing-necessary," the unexpected phone call, the drop-in visitor, the expiring\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/amusingamma\/2012\/01\/in-crunch-time-a-spirituality\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"In Crunch Time: A Spirituality\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Sometimes it just all piles up--the deadlines, the endings, the "one-thing-necessary," the unexpected phone call, the drop-in visitor, the expiring\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/amusingamma\/2012\/01\/in-crunch-time-a-spirituality\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"A Musing Amma\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2012-01-09T00:52:26+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/wp.patheos.com.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs\/amusingamma\/files\/2012\/01\/images-41-150x150.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Elizabeth Nordquist\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Elizabeth Nordquist\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/amusingamma\/2012\/01\/in-crunch-time-a-spirituality\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/amusingamma\/2012\/01\/in-crunch-time-a-spirituality\/\",\"name\":\"In Crunch Time: A Spirituality\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/amusingamma\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2012-01-09T00:52:26+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2012-01-09T00:52:26+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/amusingamma\/#\/schema\/person\/a937efef74281444bb6ef8ec8dfca0e1\"},\"description\":\"Sometimes it just all piles up--the deadlines, the endings, the \\\"one-thing-necessary,\\\" the unexpected phone call, the drop-in visitor, the expiring\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/amusingamma\/2012\/01\/in-crunch-time-a-spirituality\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/amusingamma\/2012\/01\/in-crunch-time-a-spirituality\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/amusingamma\/2012\/01\/in-crunch-time-a-spirituality\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/amusingamma\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"In Crunch Time: A Spirituality\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/amusingamma\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/amusingamma\/\",\"name\":\"A Musing Amma\",\"description\":\"Gathering the pieces of our lives under the eye of the Holy\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/amusingamma\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/amusingamma\/#\/schema\/person\/a937efef74281444bb6ef8ec8dfca0e1\",\"name\":\"Elizabeth Nordquist\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/amusingamma\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/eecfc546a9d02dc3742c8838ade17cfd?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/eecfc546a9d02dc3742c8838ade17cfd?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Elizabeth Nordquist\"},\"description\":\"Elizabeth Nordquist is a Presbyterian pastor, teacher, and spiritual director who writes on women's issues, spirituality and Scripture, and what is happening in the world--hers, her neighborhood, the Church and the world. 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{"id":681,"date":"2012-01-08T16:52:26","date_gmt":"2012-01-09T00:52:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/amusingamma\/?p=681"},"modified":"2012-01-08T16:52:26","modified_gmt":"2012-01-09T00:52:26","slug":"in-crunch-time-a-spirituality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/amusingamma\/2012\/01\/in-crunch-time-a-spirituality\/","title":{"rendered":"In Crunch Time: A Spirituality"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

$\"\"$ <\/a>Sometimes it just all piles up\u2013the deadlines, the endings, the \u201cone-thing-necessary,\u201d the unexpected phone call, the drop-in visitor, the expiring appliance! And how does one keep gathering one\u2019s self under the eye of the Holy when everything seems intent on resisting any attempt at collecting, amassing or grouping? This week I am trying to practice the basic minimum requirements for keeping my heart and soul connected to the Mystery while the pieces of my life careen around me.<\/p>\n

do one thing at a time: \u201cfor every thing there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.\u201d (Eccl 3:1). All I need to do is to pay attention to what time it is to do which thing.<\/li>\n

be thankful for everything that comes my way, even the things that seem like detours and interruptions; \u201cIn everything give thanks,\u201dsays Philippians. Really? Yet, I know it directs my mind and heart to the things most necessary.<\/li>\n

ask for Holy Help when strength is flagging and wisdom feels elusive; one of Ann Lamott\u2019s essential prayers, \u201cHelp me! Help me! Help me!\u201d is very useful here.<\/li>\n

remember I am not alone; I am accompanied, gentled, energized, directed by the Spirit that lives in me. Good company for the road no matter how circuitous!<\/li>\n

love the people I \u00a0am with, more than the list of things I am trying to accomplish; Love is the first principle undergirding and overarching all the rest.<\/li>\n

laughter and tears are great accessories to busyness; welcome each of them and wear them when appropriate.<\/li>\n

the process is more important than the product; will the people with whom and for whom I labor be blessed and empowered as I work with them?<\/li>\n