WE'RE DEBT FREE!!!

"The borrower is slave to the lender" Proverbs 22:7

We are thrilled, thrilled, thrilled to have reached a HUGE goal for our family! First and foremost, this post is not meant to brag, but to give total glory to Jesus for the work He's done in our hearts, our lives, and our finances over the last few years.

So let me start by filling you in on the details. Early on in our marriage, Toby and I wanted to take some sort of Christian finance course for years - be it Dave Ramsey, Crown Financial, whatever. We just wanted to learn truth in this area and operate our finances from Biblical principles. At this time we were both working during the day and I was either working late nights for tax season or spending hours on end at the library in preparation for the CPA exam. So the timing just never really worked out...the times these classes were offered were not "convenient" for us. I've since learned, that we do what we really want to do and honestly, we just didn't make this as big of a priority as we should have earlier in our marriage.

Fast forward a few years...Toby got transferred to Tennessee and I quit my job to stay home with sweet Haley. Out of desperation for adult interaction, I started attending a moms group at a local church in Knoxville. While I never really clicked with any of the moms, other than the two that invited me, I still felt like I was suppose to go. Turns out that during my second semester in the group the course "Financial Peace University" by Dave Ramsey was offered as a choice. I was thrilled! Now, this was a "bare bones" version because they didn't charge the big fee (good thing, because we were broke) and we didn't get the materials, but we would watch the videos together each week. While Toby and I wanted to go through it together, I figured this was better than nothing, so I jumped on the opportunity. After two or three weeks, every one else in the class seemed to disappear and I was left alone. Several times I was left to watch the video...alone as even the leader went off to do other things. I didn't mind...at least I was getting exposure to this awesome information. Anyway, after two weeks of solitude, the leader asked me, "Do you just want to take the DVDs home a few at a time and watch them with your husband?" What?!? I was floored! So over the next few months, Toby and I watched the entire 13 lesson program...together, in our own time, with a chance to discuss it afterward. We were so grateful for this miracle!

Dave talks a lot about being debt free and now we can totally understand his point. Debt puts you in bondage and ties up your resources. It keeps you from being able to do other things for His kingdom with your finances. For us, we now know that we will serve in the ministry at some point, and God is positioning us to live "comfortably" with little or no income.

So we finished the DVDs in the fall of 2009 and took a good hard look at our financial situation. For the sake of giving God ALL the glory, I will go against all cultural norms and give you real numbers. At the close of 2009, here is what we were faced with:

$ 195,000 - mortgage on our TN house
$ 77,800 - mortgage on our vacant AL rental house
$ 8,300 - Toby's student loans
$ 19,400 - Carey's student loans
=$ 300,500 - total debt

Our monthly debt payments were as follows:
$ 1,400 - mortgage on our TN house
$ 918 - mortgage on our AL rental house
$ 82 - Toby's student loans
$ 173 - Carey's student loans
=$2,573 - total cash going out of our hands to the debtors each month

Now, you can do the math here. Toby had a great job, but once you tack on groceries, utilities, gasoline, etc, etc, etc...things were tight to say the least! However, as hard as those days were, God forced us to learn some really hard lessons. Lessons about stewarding His money well, lessons that we will carry for the rest of our lives. In those days, the choice laid out before me was A - get a job and put Haley in daycare or B - figure out how to stretch a buck. Since it was my heart's desire to be home with my babies, I got busy stretching away. We put Haley in cloth diapers, I made all of her baby food, I learned from a friend how to make my own laundry detergent, I learned all about cutting coupons and planning our meals around what was on sale. We rarely went out to eat and if we did it was to the cheap Mexican place where they would serve us endless free chips and salsa and we could split a $5 quesadilla. Most lunch dates consisted of sandwiches from home in the back end of my 4Runner, backed up to the river. Honestly, those are some of my favorite memories from Tennessee. We also learned that life went along just fine without fancy dinners out, new clothes, luxury cars, or extravagant toys for our daughter. God had blessed us with an incredible amount and we were learning that the "American dream" is not all it's cracked up to be. We were finally content with what we had and were able to take stock of things and start digging out from under our debt. [See the $ Savers tab for details.]

So, how did we get from there to here? Yes, we cut back tremendously in those first few months, but the monumental changes are all tied to the miracles God worked in moving us back to Alabama. In February 2010, God told Toby to quit his job, move us back to Alabama, attend "seminary" and live in our little vacant house. If you haven't heard this story, please take the time to read it...God is SO good! Anyway, after months of no job prospects in Mobile, one finally landed on the scene. With it came full relocation, additional funds for moving and temporary housing expenses, and they bought our TN house from us...for what we paid for it, even though it had declined in value during the two years we lived there. This was our starting point. So that takes care of our TN mortgage and we were able to put some of the extra moving funds toward Toby's student loans and knock them out. That alone was a huge relief...to finally have some breathing room in our finances!

Once we moved into our tiny, vacant rental house (that conveniently God was holding on to for us...haha, the joke's on us!) we refinanced the mortgage to get out from under PMI, cut the loan term to 15 years instead of 30, and significantly reduce the interest rate. Even with reducing the life of the loan, our mortgage payment now is still lower than it was before.

Over the course of the nine months that we've been in Mobile, we have been slowly chipping away at my student loans. Our pastors, John and Tracy, have said a million times, "You can't out-give God." One of the biggest things I admire about Toby is the stance he took at the very beginning of our marriage. He said, "No matter how tough things get, we will always give our tithe." And so we have. Faithfully, with each paycheck we have cheerfully turned over to God what belongs to Him...even though there were days I would day dream about how far that money would go, from my perspective anyway. We kept up our end of the deal when we moved to Mobile and with our first taste of financial freedom we began to offer above our tithe...a huge joy for my heart! Well, I think John and Tracy are right. For months now we have been receiving random checks in the mail...a refund on a utility bill from TN, or an overpayment due to a miscalculation on the closing of our refinance, or a dividend check I hadn't thought about...it seemed like the money just kept coming in! It was crazy! Now, nothing was huge...$40 here, $70 there, but those things add up and we knew where they were coming from. So all of those things combined with Toby's income and freedom from not paying other debtors each month, my student loan balance was falling quickly and yesterday I made the last payment...the payoff amount! It was a day that I never thought I'd see!

So, we still have our mortgage on our little Alabama house, but it's next in line. Again, I tell you all of this not to brag or boast of any wonderful thing we've done, but to point all glory to Jesus! He is the one who put the resources in our hands. He is the one who changed our hearts. He is the one who provided the new, amazing job. He is the one who provided the resources to give us the freedom He wants us to have. He is the one who paid off over $200,000 in debt in 18 months. We are thrilled to have this weight off of our shoulders, but even more so to be in a position to serve Him in whatever capacity He asks because we are not bound by these obligations anymore!

You can do this too. I promise, it can be done! But you must be intentional and you must seek His help. He will guide your heart and give you wisdom to walk it out. If you've overcome this hurdle, I would love to hear your story. Please feel free to post a comment or send me an email at soakinginlife@gmail.com.

My Jesus is alive...and He is so funny!

Recently I went back to Tennessee to visit friends for two weeks (more to come on my trip later) and I got to stay with my TN bestie and her family. I watched every day as they routinely went to bed at 9pm (a seeming impossibility at my house) and M got up around 5 every morning to spend time with our Jesus before the day got started. Now, I am fully aware that there are people out there that do this, but for some reason that had always seemed like a mythical idea to me...nice, but not practical. So when I got home, I committed to keeping up this early bedtime in hopes of rising before my family to spend time with my sweet Jesus. I knew I would need His help, because my sleep is one of my greatest treasures here on earth! Not much can tear me from my precious sleep.

Day 1 - The alarm went off at 6, Toby groggily asked why I set my alarm, I turned it off and went back to sleep. Nice start! After another few days I gave up on the alarm clock. However, I started waking up every morning before my family. Some days I would roll over and glance at the clock immediately, other days I would lay in that half awake state trying to figure out the time by the light coming in our room. Strangely, it would be 6:10 every morning. Regardless of how early or late I went to bed or how long a laid around, my first glance at the clock every morning would be at 6:10. I thought maybe my body has just gotten into a routine...I should really figure out how to break this. But deep down, I knew there was more to it than just a sleep schedule. Every time I woke before my family, I would think, Hmm I could get up and read...but I'm pregnant and need the rest...but I'll read during Haley's nap time...excuse, excuse, excuse....

So this morning, not having set my alarm, I rolled over and glanced at my clock. You guessed it...it was 6:10. Again, I felt Jesus pulling me to get out of the bed, so I asked, "Are you wanting me to read a verse...6:10 something?" Immediately, I heard "Proverbs." No way...I'm just groggy. So I rolled over in hopes of finding sleep again. After a few minutes my curiosity got to me so I pulled up the Bible app on my iPhone. I am so not kidding...this is what I read...

"How long will you lie down, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? 'A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest.' " Proverbs 6:9-10

I couldn't help but laugh! My Jesus is sooo funny! And He knows just how to talk to me. Perhaps the poetic intention of this verse is referring to something else, but because the Bible is alive, today for me, this verse meant GET OUT OF THE BED!

So I worked up some strength, grabbed my Bible and my journal and headed to the living room. Toby hardly noticed my absence. I asked Jesus, Ok what's so important this morning? His sweet response was the exact sentence I've said to Toby a million times in the last 10 days...I just want you to be here with me. My heart melted. My Jesus loves me so much. Today He didn't have anything earth shattering to tell me, but some days He will...if I'm willing to spend time with Him and listen. Today He just wanted me to be with Him. He wanted to love me.

Jesus, you are so sweet and so good. Thank you for being a jealous God. You are jealous for my time and for my affections. You want me to pour myself into You because You know that Your presence is the very best thing You can give me. Thank you for pursuing me...over and over and over, even when I ignore you. Please help me to prioritize my days so that I can rise cheerfully and rested to spend sweet time with you in the coming days and weeks. All my heart...Carey

We finally have a home!

When we moved to Mobile in August of last year, it was clear that our assignment was to visit as many churches as we could...to come out of our corner, to see how the rest of the body loves Jesus. Our intention was not to find a home, but to learn. Knowing that we have been called into the ministry, at some level at some point in time, we acknowledged that once we do get plugged into a church, we will be obligated to be there each Sunday, so now was our chance to visit around and see the rest of the body.

We visited everything from conservative Southern Baptist to Church of Christ to dancing in the isles and speaking tongues charismatic. It was an awesome season...and a hard season. We were stretched and taught in so many ways. We were blessed to learn about how others worship, pray and teach. It was beautiful to see different sections of the body loving my Jesus. It was hard in other ways...not having a home base or anybody who knew our names, and being faced with things we didn't like or understand. In some cases we could immediately put our finger on something and say, "this is not something we want to duplicate." Other situations or teachings stretched our understanding and forced us to dig, research and lean in to the Spirit's leading. As we entered our fourth month of this season, both Toby and I were becoming hungry for a home...a place to plug in, a place to love others and be loved, a place where encounters with the Spirit would be matched with healthy, grounded Biblical teaching. The problem arose that most of the churches we visited were either one extreme or the other. Any that we had visited that displayed some sort of balance were not home...Papa had not given His peace.

As I shared a while ago, along with our church hopping last fall, came a good bit of loneliness and depression. The day after I let all of that anger and mess go, I happened to have my radio tuned to the Christian radio station...a rarity in my world as I am normally held captive by Psalty, the Singing Songbook. Anyway, I caught the tail end of a blip on the radio for South Coast Church. Because I had become accustomed to seeking out new churches over the last few months, I made a mental note to look it up later. At home I pulled up the website and was drawn in by what I read. The mission and vision statement caught my attention..."At SCC we believe the stronger the foundation the further the reach. In order to accomplish the Great Commission given by our Lord Jesus Christ, we must teach people to live by the Word of God, be led by the Spirit of God, and to reach out to others with the love of God." That was it...the balance of Spirit and Truth we've been looking for! (John 4:24) I shared it with Toby that night, and I just couldn't shake it over the next few days.

Please feel free to check out their website to learn more...South Coast Church of Mobile.

So I hear this blip on the radio on Monday. On Tuesday, I was going out of my way to get Haley a Wendy's frosty before making a long trip across town. On our way to Wendy's I noticed a yard sign out of the corner of my eye...South Coast Church. I had to do a double take! We live in a little community just north of Mobile, so I was really surprised to see somebody in our neighborhood that was associated with this church that God had just brought across my radar screen.

On Sunday morning we visited for the first time, totally expectant that God was going to show us something big. We ran into a sweet lady just inside the front door. We told her how we had heard about the church and how we had visited many others in the previous months. Her reply was prophetic..."Well, I think you've found your home." As we found our seats Toby and I looked at each other thinking, that was odd. During the last few days I had searched out a new worship song, but downloaded a different one by mistake..."Your love never fails." I didn't mean to download it, but God's in control of even these little things. I quickly latched on to this new song and listened to it repeatedly throughout the week. So worship started up and what was the first song in the set? Of course, "Your love never fails." It was fairly new then and we hadn't heard it played in a service before...I stood there, stunned. My heart was so overwhelmed and held such a peace that I spent the rest of the worship set literally on my face in the center isle. I felt the months of despair falling off and hope start growing! Could this be our home?

Toby and I walked away from that service with a sense of belonging and an excitement for what God was doing with this body. They were holding a new member type class that evening and I felt compelled to attend...partly out of nosiness, partly out of obedience. Toby stayed home with Haley and I went alone. The pastor spoke about the essentials that a Christian should have in their life and he briefly touched on the foundation and direction of the church. I couldn't argue with one thing that came out of his mouth. We were in complete agreement. He mentioned a womens bible study that would be forming soon and would be led by his wife, so after the meeting I made my way to her. She was busy talking with others, so I ended up talking with another mom I had met that morning. After a 30 minute chat, I discovered that it was her yard sign, 20 miles away, that I had seen earlier that week! We ended our conversation, I had given up on waiting for the pastor's wife, and was getting ready to say goodbye when she opened her arms and pulled me into the sweetest hug. Now, I'm a plenty huggy person myself, so this didn't bother me. What caught me off guard was that she initiated this hug. I melted right there...in the arms of this total stranger! As she embraced me, I felt the Spirit's voice...I know what you need. You will find love here. I walked to my car in an almost out of body experience. That was my first day on that campus and yet I felt like I'd been there for years. In this moment, my soul was more settled than it had been in months. I called Toby from my car..."I think we've found our home."

Toby and I continued to discuss and dream about what kind of ministry God would place us in or what goals and doctrine would be associated with it. After these conversations, it would never fail that our pastor would address the exact issue in his sermon the next Sunday! Toby and I would always glance at each other and exchange an amazed chuckle. This happened, not just once, but at least four or five times. Our God is so good!

In the coming weeks we met with the pastor and his wife, talked with many people in the congregation and leadership, and attended the new member classes. Turns out, this awesome, growing church with God's favor written all over it...it's six months old! Two years ago, this couple was running a very successful aviation company in Tulsa, OK when God asked them to sell their business, return to Mobile (the pastor's hometown) and plant a church...so they did. With their 5 teenagers in tow and great trust and obedience they pulled into Mobile last summer and launched South Coast Church in September 2010. Six months later, we are still seeing lots of new faces every Sunday with an average attendance around 150. I am continually amazed at His faithfulness!

In the months that followed, God has repeatedly brought to mind some wisdom shared with us. Just before we left Tennessee, we met with our pastor and his wife for dinner. While they both shared tons of invaluable advice and wisdom, one statement stands out..."Look for a little church that's just getting started. Get in on the ground floor so you can see all areas of ministry. If you jump on board with a mega church, they're going to put you in charge of left-handed, 7th grade boys and that's all you'll get to see." The accuracy of this statement almost makes me laugh. Our new church home is 6 months old, with one couple running the whole show without pay. I'm not sure how much more "ground floor" we could get! I've found myself telling people, "This is the church we would have planted had we planted it ourselves."

God is good...all the time. I know He had a purpose for the hard months we spent without a home. Some lessons we have already learned, others will come out in due time. But for now, we are thrilled to join forces with this awesome church family and can not wait to see what God has in store for us as a family, for us as a church family, and for the city of Mobile. If you're in the Mobile area and are not settled with a church home, we would love for you to join us! Even if it's strictly out of curiosity...He's not afraid or intimidated by your curiosity, nosiness or questions. C'mon and see what God is doing!