November 1, 2016 • Page 2 shop online at www.missourivalleyshopper.com Dave Says Young, Jobless and Scared An Honest Thief By Daris Howard Accounting 101 As I read about all of the refugees in the world right now, an estimated sixty million with half of them children, my mind returned to this time of year when I was twenty years old living in New York. I was doing missionary work with three other young men, and the holidays were approaching. Times were tough in the city I was in. The G.M. plant, the biggest employer, had shut down, and a lot of people were thrown out of work. In some areas, the crime rate was spiraling out of control as otherwise good people turned to theft. As missionaries, we spent lots of time finding needy families and making sure they had food and possibly a few simple toys for their children from donations through church relief efforts. As we spent lots of time in this work, I was usually too busy to think of anything else, but as I climbed into bed at night, my thoughts would turn to home. My family, though not wealthy, would have a bounteous harvest from our garden and farm. In my teenage years, my mother would have me deliver plates of holiday cookies and candies to widows and needy families. It was into this mix of thoughts and events that something interesting happened. One night, as we were finishing up for the evening, one of the other missionaries, Johnson, realized he had left his wallet on the front seat of our car. It was a cold night, and knowing the car and the garage were both locked, he decided that he wouldn’t worry about it. The next morning we had breakfast and prepared for our day’s work. Johnson unlocked the garage, and I opened the overhead door while the others went to the car. Johnson unlocked the car and the three of them climbed in. That’s when Johnson gasped. “Howard,” he said, “you’ve got to see this.” Johnson’s wallet lay open on the seat of the car, and beside it was a note. I picked it up and read it. “I’m sorry that I had to take money from your wallet. I lost my job, and I haven’t been able to find any other work. My wife left me, I had nothing to buy milk with, and my baby daughter was hungry. I’m not a thief, and I promise I will pay you back. I hope where you are men doing God’s work that you will understand and will forgive me.” “That’s all the money I had until the end of the month,” Johnson complained. “Now what will I do?” “He said he’d pay it back,” Stanton, another missionSteve reached up and put his cup of coffee on the floor ary, said. of the turret in his cabin, then climbed the ladder until “Yeah, right,” Johnson said, sarcastically. “Like that’s both he and the coffee were comfortable, looking out at the really going to happen.” world. “How much was it?” I asked. The only people who didn’t understand why he built a “Five dollars,” Johnson replied. turret on his little cabin up here high on the mountain were “Isn’t that what we’re doing out here anyway?” I asked. folks who hadn’t seen it. Once you actually sat in the chair, looked out the window at the weather and the world, there “I mean, if he needed it wouldn’t you have given it to him?” “I suppose,” he replied. “But I don’t like the idea of was no doubt. someone just stealing it.” You instantly thought, “I have to get one of these.” I opened my wallet and handed him a ten-dollar bill. Steve, our tall, walrus-mustachioed cowboy, wasn’t “I’ve bought enough groceries to last me a while. You take really sure why he built the turret, either. Well, deep in his this.” heart of hearts he actually did, but he’d never tell. “Do you have any more to last you through the rest of He secretly thought, if he had a turret, and could look the month?” Johnson asked. out on creation from the safety of this little piece of cabin, “No,” I replied, “but my bills are all paid, and I’ll be fine.” something wonderful would happen. It may be that he’d be Call 665-5884 to place yourworld the sweeping majad here. He reluctantly took it because he needed it, and we driven to write a novel, telling the left for work. esty of riding herd and cleaning corrals. Or, Steve might be After a couple of weeks we had pretty much forgotinspired to take up the paint brush and dazzle the world as ten about the incident. Then one morning it was kind of deja a cowboy artist, like Grem Lee and Gary Morton. He could www.missourivalleyshopper.com picture in his mind how he would even capture the smell of vu. We opened the locked garage, opened the locked car, and there on the seat was a five-dollar bill with a note. It said, the alkali dust swirling up to a cowboy’s nose in the catch “Thanks for the loan. I got another job.” pen. Davis, another one of the missionaries, said, “Have Or music? Maybe music. You know, write songs about the you considered whatat cowboy life, like Jim Jones and Steve Cormier. If they could Visit our Web site kind of man has the skill to break into a locked garage and a locked car, steal money, and then he do it, why not Steve? www.missourivalleyshopper.com Steve’s main talent, so far, was putting a rein on a horse. pays it back?” “Yes,” I said, smiling as they handed me the five dolIf you wanted to take a big-old-stout horse and spin him with just your little finger touching the reins, Steve was your lars. “It’s the kind of man who is a good man and loves his daughter.” guy. ir old granny scrubbed them until they were all pooped out.” But it’s hard to put a good sliding stop on a horse from Visit our here in the turret. Web site at In fact, about all a guy could do in the turret without bewww.missourivalleyshopper.com ing artistic is sit there, drink coffee, and think artistically. Steve’s eyes closed and he smiled. Well, there’s always taking a nap, too. Dear Dave, I’m 23, and I lost a good job a few Dear Dave, days ago due to layoffs. My wife has I’ve just started my own small business. As the owner and only been a stay-at-home mom with our employee, how do I determine my profits? 10-month-old daughter, and we have Brittany very little in the way of savings. What can we do to keep our heads above water? Dear Brittany, Seth Here’s a basic Accounting 101 definition for you, regardless of how many employees you have or how big your business may be. What you take in, minus expenses — in other words, your revDear Seth, enues minus your expenses — equal profit. Believe it or not, it I’m really sorry you’re going through really is that simple. this. I’ve been there, so I know this Since you’re just starting out, I’d strongly advise you to set up Dave is a scary time for you. There are some a separate checking account for your business. That’s the only short- and long-term goals to think about way to accurately tell exactly what’s going on within the busiin a situation like this, but let’s look at the ness. When you co-mingle business money with grocery money immediate future. and things like that in your personal account, you’ll never have an Go crazy about finding some kind of income. I don’t care if it’s accurate picture of what’s really happening with your business. delivering pizza during the week and working at the mall on week- Good luck, Brittany! ends. Even if it doesn’t completely replace your previous income, — Dave it will give you some cash to pay bills and stay afloat. On your off days, and before and after work, you can line up and do interviews for a more stable, full-time job. You may even have to trade off ba* Dave Ramsey is America’s trusted voice on money and busibysitting duties with your wife so she can earn some money too. While all this is going on, have a garage sale and sell anything ness, and CEO of Ramsey Solutions. He has authored seven bestyou don’t need or want anymore. Just about anything that can be selling books, including The Total Money Makeover. The Dave turned into income should be turned into income. In the process, Ramsey Show is heard by more than 12 million listeners each prioritize your bills and other financial responsibilities. Take care week on 575 radio stations and multiple digital platforms. Follow of food first, then utilities, the mortgage or rent, then transporta- Dave on Twitter at @DaveRamsey and on the web at daveramtion. You guys don’t need to see the inside of a restaurant for a sey.com. while unless you’re working there, and if things don’t get better by Christmas, any gifts you give should be handmade crafts. This is doable if you two work hard, pull together, and focus. God bless you guys, Seth. — Dave ng the We rf b? Su RAMSEY Surf on over to www.missourivalleyshopper.com MV Shopper MV Shopper M I S S O U R I VA L L E Y In Print and Online! Call 665-5884 M I S S O U R I VA L L E Y Interested in Entertainment this spot? Call 665-5884 to place your ad here. Interested in this spot? 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