I'm In A Vacuum

I took my vacuum cleaner apart today. My intention was to clean it. Uh huh. Yeah. It's clean alright, but now I have no idea how to put all the pieces back together again. The cat dragged one piece into the laundry room and I have no idea where that is. Well, I know where the laundry room is, I just don't know where that piece is!

I need my son. Since David was about 4 years old (now 26), he could take things apart and put them back together like no one I have ever seen. Even his father would reluctantly hand over pieces of whatever (after reading "some assembly required") just to see what little David could do with it. He just has a knack.

So, here I sit with a dirty dusty rug but now spotlessly clean vacuum...pieces. The utensils and attachments are just as shiny and pretty too, spread out all over the floor. But they're unfortunately useless until I can find the manual. Humpty Dumpty comes to mind...

It occurred to me that in order for me to clean, you first should have a good clean "in working order" vacuum cleaner. But to clean the vacuum cleaner and filter before actually cleaning, seems a bit redundant. I need a clean vacuum cleaner to clean. (huh?)

I personally have been dissected and taken apart before, literally, piece by broken piece. Once I stood in a "not-so-pure-and-righteous" state before my heavenly Father. Dirty. Filthy. The dismantling of the vacuum cleaner today brought back some crazy memories for me, where if it wasn't for the "manual" I wouldn't be posting this. You probably already know what manual I'm referring to. It's the one that says, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me..". My filter was dense with past particles of sin, distance and a bad spirit. I'm just glad that some how, some way, I allowed the Master Tech to put me back together.

In order now to clean or extend the hand of helps to others, you must first be clean. Call on the Savior. He can put you back together. It's amazing to see how He does this, every time.

As for mechanical objects that have been dismantled and need reassembling - call David.

Cooth, Tooth & Truth!

I love big words. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious is one. Antidisestablishmentarianism is another. I remember chanting and reciting out loud these big words unintelligibly as a young girl from my front porch (at the same time while spitting seeds from my juicy pomegranate!)

Since I have aged some and have better clarifying word sense and cooth, I make it a point to never use a word with which I'm not familiar. I've been guilty of saying or spelling renumerate when it really is remunerate. You'd think since I'm a singer/speaker who depends solely (or is that souly?) on honorariums for a living, I'd surely get that word right!

A dentist told me he was once asked by a patient, "I hope you can save it. I don't want an episiotomy of that tooth." >>Silence<< She then continued by saying, "The last time I had a root canal episiotomy, I had blood in my urine." 

I guess SO. I didn't realize the drills ran quite that deep...

I tried to figure out what in the world she was thinking and what word she was desiring to say. Supposing she may have meant to use the word perineotomy doesn't even work in dental terms, unless you're giving birth to a tooth. But then I thought, "I bet she wanted to say something "periodontal-ish."

That's it! As far-fetched as it sounds, I understood. I was illumined! (Or is that illuminated?) I could see it clearly with my eye tooth! I wish though I could be in the conversation one day, when she realizes she's been using the word episiotomy in the wrong context.

Here are a few words that never seem to be wrong in any context:

Forgiveness
Compassion
Acceptance
Mercy
Forbearance
Kindness
Tenderness

I know this full well. I know this because each one of these words goes beyond spelling or preaching or just talking them out (or even shouting it from your front porch). Each word requires a physical, mental, emotional and spiritual definition of its own action, to be proven. And when you think about it, they dig deeper into our souls more than any drill.

Jesus spilt His blood, sweat, bodily fluid, bile, urine - everything - as a supreme human sacrifice on the cross. It wasn't contextually rational. Many think (their context) that His crucifixion meant a total defeat. But the fact is: It was the greatest single victory over death. That's not Christian-ish - that's truth.

Elucidation. It means to give an explanation that serves to clarify.

Like I said, I love big words.

Luke 12:11-12  The Message 
 11-12"When they drag you into their meeting places, or into police courts and before judges, don't worry about defending yourselves—what you'll say or how you'll say it. The right words will be there. The Holy Spirit will give you the right words when the time comes."

The Organ Recital

I have no voice today. Literally. None. I woke up with a cold or allergy-symptom-related sore throat  that I saw coming, but have been in denial since its onset. SO, let the "organ" recital begin!

(To the tune of 'Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring') - Sing out loud, cause I sure can't!

Vocal chords are tired and silenced

Skin is dry and itchy-bad

Stomach's bleh, from all the Airborne 

Bowels? I think I'll take a pass..

Lungs are pushing air through the passage

Making me cough with every breath

Liver's glad this day's soon over

Heart knows this is just a test!

Ahhhhh...........mennnnnn.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. (2 Corinthians 4: 7)

Thanks to my dear friend Toni Birdsong for giving me permission to use her "organ recital" term. She has NO idea how it launched a whole new idea in this comedic brain!

I'm Bent Over Backwards

One early morning, I was carelessly and speedily driving to my morning shift at WNRK Radio in Delaware. I stopped quickly on the side of the road to pick up the local paper from a coin-operated newspaper "rip-off" box. Pulling over to the opposite side of the road and frivolously jumping out of the van with two quarters in hand, I thought I set the gear shift to "P" for "PARK". But stumbling out to the curb, my two ton van began it's backward escape. IT WAS IN REVERSE INSTEAD OF PARK! Within seconds, my mind was sure I could just jump back in the van and slam my foot on the brake pedal. Good instincts. Great reaction. But my body, however, foolishly took the brunt and helm and decided to intervene. Stopping it or slowing it down while grabbing the driver's side door seemed futile. Uh-oh. I could NOT stop the rolling beast!

Take note: If you're ever in this situation, the one thing that WILL stop a moving driver-less vehicle is a stationary telephone pole. It works every time. The door and I were hanging on for dear life. The pole caught the open door bending it backwards like a scene from a PBS special with a Ken Burn's slo-mo effect. It completely bent all the way around forward and I was jostled between the pole and the side of the van. I maneuvered myself around the door, jumped inside and jammed my foot on the brake. I sat there for about 60 seconds wondering who in the world just witnessed this amazing acrobatic scene. Grabbing the door again from the driver's seat, I attempted to bend the door back to a closed position but by then it was almost 5:45am and I needed to be on the air in fifteen minutes.

SO picture this; here I am, driving the busy rush hour highway with my right hand on the steering wheel and my left hand gripping the door which was wide open - facing the wrong direction! "Jeff is never going to believe this!", I muttered to myself.

When I got to the station, I had one minute to spare before linking up satellites, grabbing the program log and saying, "Good morning - Oldies Radio!" I called Jeff during a commercial break and told him "..something strange happened to the driver's door of the van, honey..."

"Strange" and "honey" -  two unique words in the same sentence - a dead give away to my husband that this wasn't good. His reaction was priceless. After some hundreds of dollars later everything was back to normal. Well, somewhat normal. That not-so-euphoric experience was a conversation piece for some time.....until Jeff had his own "come-to-Jesus-meeting" with a vehicle and a pole at an ice cream stand. But that's another story...

How in the world could that heavy metal door just bend and mold itself around the stationary telephone pole with amazing ease? It reminded me of my friend Brandt Gillespie and his song. His lyrics still stay with me after all these years. Although I don't remember them all, it goes something like this..

"Move me with Your message once again.....and bend my heart once more around the tree..."

(Bend my heart once more around the tree? What could that mean?) 

Here's a few interpretations..

    •Mold my heart around the cross, the stationary immovable depiction of a painful, gruesome method of execution? How strange..

    •Take my most prized life-sustaining organ and exchange it for God's act of love in Christ's sacrifice? How weird is that??

    •Better yet, live each day with a "cross" impression on my heart, much like a piece of metal bending around a telephone pole?? Sounds somewhat foolish..

I'm thinking it makes sense. It makes perfect sense to those of us who, for the Kingdom's sake, desire hearts that are bent over backwards, forwards, sideways - whatever it takes - to make a "God impression" in this world.

1 Corinthians 1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Let's Weep For Joy!

The day after Christmas. Always a conflicting clean-up. It's the collusion of the smell of charred lasagna sauce in the oven teaming with the half-burnt Yankee "Balsam & Cedar" aroma, that tells me I'm in the midst of another one of those "smelly" conspiracies. There's another collaboration going on too. My CD player with my favorite instrumental Christmas music (Fourplay "Snowbound") is in cahoots with my TV - blaring ESPN's re-broadcast of the Poinsettia Bowl LA Tech vs. TCU. Every possible sound wave in this house has the vibration of both! Another illegal tactic going on is the desperate cry of organic/healthy/wholesome foods in the frig working with the homemade chocolate chip cookie dough. They're both rival commodities in co-operation for their mutual benefit - to GET ME TO EAT IT ALL - no matter what it is! There's also evidence that our adult children were here. Day old dishes, twenty-five drinking glasses used once, and the cinnamon buns are GONE! I'm at war - to clean or not to clean! If I clean, there will be no evidence that yesterday happened.

I experienced a collusion of dark versus light during my recent trip to SEAsia. It's taken me weeks to process it all. I posted pictures, stories, events, smiles, and thoughts on Facebook, but stayed far away from actually talking about it all. Until now.

Every mission trip I'm told, does one of two things: Makes you glad you live in America or makes you sad you live in America. And for me, my Malaysian visit was truly a disruption of my equilibrium. The dark and light of human trafficking seen in the eyes of the Filopino, Cambodian and Indonesian girls, seared my heart. In one glimpse I had insider knowledge with private information. Most I cannot write about, but for today I want to simply say: It exposed me. Yes, ME. Exposed. I may not have been trafficked, raped, beat or sold into sex slavery, but I've walked the line of the sacred/sacrilege as a supposed good girl; a squeaky clean, visually wholesome example of Jesus. And to this, I could vomit.

I am not any of that. I have serious flaws. God has insider knowledge about who I really am. The colluding traders (the Holy Spirit and the prostitutes of Brookfields, Kuala Lumpur), have exposed me big time, revealing that I'm not nearly what I am or could be. I'm not worthy of an upcoming takeover, that's for sure. I appear to have it all, yet I have nothing. The inflation of my own life in ministry has worthless street value.

Knowing all this and understanding it even more, brings this cracked jar of clay into full view. Jesus is the defining factor for me and for my girls. We are ALL the same, both in darkness and in Light. I weep for joy! I can't thank my friend, Carrie, enough for inviting me to share my life with the girls. In many ways, these rescued ones are much more advanced than I when it comes to faith, courage and grace. I'll never forget Lyla (second from right) as we prayed and commissioned her return to Cambodia. She smiled and said, "I want to win my family and town for Jesus."

She will, because now - she's been bought with a much higher and precious price.

(Sidenote) How fun it was to watch old family videos yesterday with our adult children! Thanking God for the power of His presence, even in our past. And even as we grow old together, may we be mindful of all the changes, yet secure in knowing -the most important thing will never change.

The Leaves Know

The Dogwood tree is flaming red. The oak trees are shimmering gold. The Bradford Pear trees are an eye-popping burnt orange. The Buttonwood trees are showing off their soft yellow/green hue. The Magnolia tree seems quite content at staying rusty brown....for now. I'm always taken by how October displays change with such colorful diversity and creativity.

In life (other than trees), changing times aren't always so positively breath-taking or colorful. But even so, Daniel 2:19 reminds me that the mystery was given to Daniel in a vision. Daniel blessed the God of heaven, saying, "Blessed be the name of God, forever and ever. He knows all, does all: He changes the seasons and guides history..." It's good to know that when the leaves change, it's God's signature design - reminding us that He remains to be the Master Artist. And this isn't just for the trees. This is for me.

Welcome to SJ Magazine - The Heart of Southern New Jersey

Welcome to SJ - Heart of South Jersey Magazine! Article featuring Sue Duffield, former SJ gal. Benefit for Neighborhood Center of Camden, an outreach to young people and adults, Oct. 22nd, 2011. Tickets $15. For information, be sure and contact: Neighborhood Center Benefit, featuring Sue Duffield. 8pm
I LOL when I saw "one woman show!"

Jesus in you.

I love this salutation. It's a quote from Luci Shaw and Madeleine L'Engle's book (1997) pg. 169, "Friends For the Journey".





Salutation

Framed in light, Mary sings through the doorway. Elizabeth's six month joy jumps, a palpable greeting, a hidden first encounter between son and Son.

And my heart turns over when I meet Jesus in you.

Taking the hilarity to Broken Arrow!

Laugh Out Loud goes to the Just for Her Women's Ministry of The Assembly at Broken Arrow, Oklahoma on Thursday, October 6th, 6:30pm! This is an incredible outreach to women in the community - as well as an uplifting and inspiring time for ALL women of all ages! Tickets and information, click here.

Christian Women In Media Event

Looking forward to a great event on September 15th. A Professional Enrichment Evening and Dinner
featuring Keynote Speaker and Guest Artist SUE DUFFIELD, Singer, Speaker, Media & Radio Personality

New Location This Season: Hillwood Country Club in Nashville

Media Panel: Jackie Dorman, Jane TV and Kathleen Hardaway, Precept Ministries

Media Seminar 4:30 - 5:30pm
Practical Steps to Take Your Speaking to a New Level
with Stacy Robinson of The Robinson Agency

Click here for registration.

Ms. Cellaneous

Diverse. Broad-minded. Uncatagorized. Out of the Box. Extraneous. Supplemental. Outlier. Beyond the norm.

If the words and phrases resonate, you're probably walking outside the lines of expectation and familiarity. I welcome you with open arms! You're well on your way to shocking the "boxed" world. You know, the world that's convinced itself that everything must be labeled; and card-cataloging people, even.

I recently had a media expert tell me, "Sue, we don't know quite where to put your music in our rotation. You're not southern gospel and not really contemporary either. You are a blend of jazz, big band and adult easy listening, but there's not really a format for that in Christian music. I think we'll just call you "Miscellaneous".

I guess that's better than being called "misappropriate" or "mistaken" or "misaligned"! All I know is, this "Ms. Cellaneous" is very happy to not have an industry designation. I am thrilled to walk the tiny road off the beaten path. I'm not in a hurry. It's not a race. I laugh when my friend called me a "37 year overnight" success! She's right, but not in the mainstream way you might think. The best decision I ever made was to follow Christ and turn my badges, trophies, accolades, and blue ribbons over to him. He's the only category I've ever needed.

May I suggest to you - rejoice in your diversity! Rejoice that you don't march to the beat of the so-called acceptable drum! Celebrate your uniqueness in Christ! There's nobody like you.

One-berry, Blue-berry, Three-berry!

I have this little game I play with blueberries.. First of all, I LOVE them, and I will eat an entire pint right in front of you. I've had blueberries from Jersey, blueberries from Michigan, blueberries from South Carolina - it matters not where they come from. I will eat them because I love them. I really hadn't a clue (as a kid) that they were extremely good for you. I knew I loved them as much if not more than candy, that's all I know. I'll never forget getting our little treasured pints of blueberries from Melitta's Farm Market on Virginia Avenue in Penns Grove, where I grew up. Such a sleepy little Jersey town in those days, but it surely would liven up when we'd take the trek to the farm market and fill the paper sacks with summer produce.

This game I play is: After washing the blueberries, and sorting through the few bad ones you might find, I start eating (in order of appearance) the very largest to the smallest berry in the bunch. It's a rewarding scavenger hunt for me, thumbing and pushing aside the smallest berries, til I find the biggest ones - FIRST! As this game continues, you can imagine that the biggest, boldest berries are usually the sweetest ones. So, as I continue to pick and sort and eat, they go from being very sweet to becoming more tart with every bite. Finally, like playing finger bowling, I eyeball the last ten or so, to see what blueberry will be the very last one. It's usually the tiniest of them all, just sitting there waiting to be "chosen".

Proverbs 25:27 from "The Message" says, "It's not smart to stuff yourself with sweets, nor is glory piled on glory good for you." Eventually, even as my little blueberry game unfolds - the "sweetness" only lasts a little while. There's only so many big, ripe juicy ones in the pint!

There is, of course, nothing sweeter than Jesus - His ways, His words, His life. In His teachings and earthly ministry, He new the power of persuasion and getting the attention of the crowd. (Like offering the biggest ripest blueberry of all!) It was usually after gaining their confidence - their ears - their eyes, that the strongest more pungent disciplinary words would come. (Uh oh, here come the tart berries!) Many followers were gratified and pleased at the tenderness of their Savior; His loving ways; His compassion. But many would fall by the wayside when Jesus instructed, corrected and challenged with "right to the point" tartness. The Savior has savor.

So one blueberry at a time, I now see how ALL of them fit the pallet of my life. Some sweet days...some very tart days. But I'm "berry" thankful for Psalm 34:8, "Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him."

Grandchildren Spoiled Here

The safe zone. The fellowship house. The prayer chamber. And even better, if you were 8 weeks old or one hundred and eight, you qualified to "live" here and be loved lavishly. On a very limited budget (they had no money), my grandparents Fred & Hilda Link fed the world, it seemed. Not only did they indulge us with those crazy little frozen Geno's pizzas, Tasty Kakes and Wise Potato Chips, they also fed us unconditional love and acceptance. Anyone who knew them also knew they would be forever adopted into the family Link - forever. If you were one of their "kids", feel free to post your thoughts here! Thanks to my brother Dave for finding this picture of 292 Garfield Street, Carneys Point, NJ. This was the house that "built" me!

Cuke SPA H2O!

As crazy as this sounds, (and I'm sure you're surprised that I"d sound crazy....!), I discovered I LOVE cucumbers in water! I accidently on purpose found out that I loved it, (!) simply by drinking a glass of this summery produce-stand drink at an ice cream shop, of all things! I challenge you - just slice a few cukes and add to a tall pitcher of ice water and - "VOILA!"

Cucumbers are a very good source of potassium, an important intra-cellular electrolyte. Potassium is a heart friendly electrolyte; helps reduce blood pressure and heart rates by countering effects of sodium.

Wow. I eat them in salads and sandwiches, but just recently discovered drinking them is even better! And now I'm finding out that cucumbers surprisingly have a high amount of vitamin K, provides about 17 mcg of this vitamin per 100 g. Vitamin-K has been found to have potential role in bone strength by promoting osteotrophic (bone mass building) activity. It also has established role in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease patients by limiting neuronal damage in their brain.

What a "cool" drink! It's a spa in a pitcher!

Avoiding Christianese: how to connect to non-believers online

Avoiding Christianese: How to connect to non-believers online

Timely words from good friend, Toni Birdsong! Pass this one along!

Also check out an original post right here from January, 2011 - dealing with the same subject!