I’m a little late getting started this morning. Our power went out last night for a better part of the evening, and well, you can’t exactly go to bed when it’s so dark can you? That would just be odd. So, I stayed up in the family room with, well, my family. And, I’m not sure why I keep using, well, “well.” I’ll stop it now.
When the electricity goes out, there are no distractions. Ever notice that? Of course, the tree falling into my parents’ backyard crushing a part of their fence caused a slight commotion, but there was no blaring of a television or surfing of a browser that turned our heads from one another.
Instead, we took turns trying to remember as many Reba McIntyre songs as we could. That game appropriately started with none other than “The Night the Lights Went Out In Georgia.” Oh, and me belting it out like the red-headed diva herself, all sans the red head and ultra skinny waste. And, great vocals. Perhaps, it was my vocals that led to John Henry insisting on playing some 38 Special. That and the fact that he’s never heard any Reba. How did my parenting go so wrong?
Before we mustered up the courage to go to bed in the dark, we sat around and talked about our friend, Phil. Phil stood in the presence of His Creator, the object of his affection, only a few days ago. We talked about how there was no age discrimination in the lives he touched. He touched the old, the young, and the really, really young. I watched a 16 year old girl with uncontrolled tears covering her beautiful, young face, because one 63 year old man touched her life.
Phil Purser didn’t pastor a large church. He wasn’t a missionary to some foreign land. But, he was a pastor and missionary wherever he was to whomever he was with. And, he was the greatest encourager I have ever known.
May we power off more often, so our heads do not turn from one another. And, may we all grow up to be a Phil Purser.
DustyTakle.com 
Thank you!
Phillip was a great friend! Many fun times I had with him. Nice to read such kind words about him. He will truly be missed.
So you ended focused “intentionally” (who made that word a part of my life) on memories….what a precious time….and like your Dad tweeted, FRIENDS ARE FOREVER…but you knowwwwwwww I would have loved to have been in the middle of the Reba songs lolololol
I sat in the family room with Alex and Julie and the newest member of the family…My new Grandchild…Don’t get excited..it is a puppy, Corona. Alex picked it up for “free” at Walmart for Julie for their 4th dating anniversary…oh, to be in love again. The funny thing was watching them give her the first bath. They are no where near ready to be parents! Thank God,… poor puppy .LOL! We ate pizza in teh dark but one thing that was different from my childhood during power outage was that all of us were online and on facebook on our cell phones…kids these days don’t have a clue! LOL! Wish I had meet Phil more than once but if he was with Judy, he had to be wonderful!
so true. Phil was truly a minister of reconciliation, because he imulated it by his presence.
Great blog Dusty! I too was so blessed by Phil Purser! Yesterday, what his boss shared, really opened my eyes, then when we were challenged to step it up through Phil’s life by your Dad, caught me really thinking about how I could do that. Wonderment of how God works! How good God is to use this friend of ours to encourage us to move forward to influence others with the message that your Dad has been sharing with us, about being intentional! Wow, Phil truly was that example! Such a loving servant of God’s!
Well….
What a great man, I am glad that I had the good fortune to cross paths with Phil. He had an impact on my entire family. He made you feel like the most important thing in the world when you talked to him. We need to follow his lead and encourage and love everyone unconditionally. My life is better to have known such a great man. “Go Jackets”
Joe and I just returned from attending Phil’s funeral. It was such a special time for all of us that had the privilege of knowing him. He will be greatly missed!!!!!!
I am Phil’s (great) niece. I just wanted to share with you all how much he loved his family– both blood and church. I hope you know that you meant as much to him, as he meant to you.
I will miss him, but I am at peace. He was right beside me when my grandmother (his oldest sister) passed away 2 1/2 yrs ago. Since then, he told me numerous times “Dont shed tears over me when im gone. Ill be in Heaven- dancing and celebrating.” I know that is what he is doing today!
While it is hard to know he isnt here with us, he opened the door for me to the “peace that passes all understanding” that only our God can provide. I hope you all have that same peace.
Thank you for all have and will do:
Love,
Jen, Blake, Chloe
This brought a tear to my baby blues.
And I didn’t even know the saint.