Counter-cultural.

"The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender."

Proverbs 22:7

This is the verse that has inspired our latest life decision - we are moving!

When Noah and I (in seperate states, having never met one another) decided to attend Northwest University (NU), we both had to take out loans in order to afford our schooling. We both graduated with Bachelors of Arts, for which we are thankful. We made some lifelong friends, some of whom were in our wedding, and who visited us at the hospital for the birth of our daughter. We did stereotypical college things: I gained the freshman 15, I dyed my hair and got a new piercing, we jumped in a lake at midnight several times, Noah made a 3AM journey to Portland 200 miles away for donuts, we had snow ball fights, I made an awkward Relient K music video, and Noah started an acoustic band, made some solo appearances, and started/ended a screamo band. We also had some high points: Noah was a RA, I was a CB, I went to a year of nursing school, and Noah was on the Dean's list every semester. And, obviously, we met one another - huge bonus!  I did have assistance in paying all that I could not afford after I accepted my financial aid from dear some family members, and that was an absolute blessing for which I am eternally grateful! 

However....

At nearly $40,000 a year, not including the cost of books and supplies, NU was not the cheapest decision we could have made. And, we definitely did not consider that if we were to marry someone we met at NU - which we did - that we would also earn the honor of sharing their debt! So, we married each other and now, 'til death do us part, we carry each other's loan debt. For the sake of transparency, I will say that we have been paying on our debt since 2014 and have made a good dent paying the minimum payments each month. Let me say this loud and clear, dear reader: we are grateful for the opportunity that we had to pursue and complete our higher education. We do not take our degrees for granted, and know that there are thousands of people in the U.S. who cannot afford to continue their education. 

According to Pew Research, 

The median borrower with outstanding student loan debt for his or her own education owed $17,000 in 2016.

$17,000 may sound like chump change to some, and a very small amount to pay for the completion of a degree. But, for us, this amount is overwhelming with the additional costs of living; you know, the little bonus items like gas, housing, food, electricity, etc.

Well, all this to say. . .we are moving! My sweet mother-in-love has agreed to allow us to live with her in order to really attack our debt. Thus, the title of this post is "Counter-cultural." We know this is not the norm. We know it might seem strange to some. However, we also know that it is what is best for our family in the long run. We love the friends we have made here, who have become more like family to us. We love our church home and the people within those four walls. We are grateful to have been led so well for five great years by Pastor Doug at Calvary Monroe. We are thankful to have met such wonderful friends both at NU and outside of that bubble. I, for one, am beyond grateful to have such a dear friend in the owner of Valentine Print Co., as well as so many others who have made our experience on the East Side remarkable. It would be impossible to list out all of the people who have impacted our lives here, but you know who you are.

So, here is to change. Here is to wise decisions. And here is to no longer being a slave to the lender.

We are so over that.