Plumluck Gone! :-(
Well, the time had to come sooner or later . . . the family Sara and I have been able to share many wonderful memories with during their 18 months in Oregon has gone back to live in Idaho. It is to Scott and his family that I dedicate my first ever blog entry. In fact, Scott you may be the only person that EVER reads this anyway :-)
A lot can be learned from our friends. Not only can God be seen through His creation, but also through the friendships he brings into our lives. I thank God for friends like the Plumleys. Through them, Sara and I have been able to find companionship, love, acceptance, joy, truth and encouragement. Definitely characteristics of the God that we serve.
Not only have Scott and Jessica been a wonderful display of these Godly characteristics to us, but so have their children. As someone who works with children on a daily basis, it is easy for me to find a special spot in my heart for children. It was not hard at all to make a home in my heart for the Plumley children. Each of them brought joy and happiness to Sara and I through their own unique ways and personalities. Sara and I have commented time and time again how lucky we would be to someday have children half as wonderful as them.
Ever since I've put Scott and Jessica in my cell phone, they've had the ring tone of one of my favorite Michael W. Smith songs, "Friends". As the song says, "Friends are friends forever if the Lord's the Lord of them." It is with these words and thoughts that I am encouraged by the distance that has now come between us and the Plumleys. Things will be different for sure since we won't have our weekly visits/get togethers and Sunday nights will be no more. Thanks to technology, we have webcams (better set your's up soon ;-), MySpace, blogs, cell phones and text messaging to stay in touch! We also now have a place to go and visit in Idaho for a vacation (which we intend to do yearly!) and hopefully the Oregon coast will work like an incredibily STRONG magnet to draw the Plumley's out this way at least once a year!
Plumleys, you are missed, but I look forward to the new adventures that await us in our friendship as the miles have been added between us. Whenever you call me, I'll hear the tune of Michael W. Smith's "Friends". Sara and I are also looking forward to "Tranquil Waters"!
