December 31, 2019 • Page 2 shop online at www.missourivalleyshopper.com Dave Says Starting Off On The Right Path Together Dear Dave, I’m getting married next summer. My fiancé and I are in agreement about how to handle money, and we both follow your plan. Do you recommend pre-marital counseling? If so, what do you feel are some of the important areas of agreement for couples before they get married? Allison Dear Allison, Congratulations! I’m glad you’re both on the same page with your finances, too. I’ve worked with thousands of couples and numerous marriage counselors over the years. In that time, I’ve learned fights over money—and the resulting problems from those disagreements—are probably the biggest cause of divorce in America. In my opinion, in-depth pre-marital counseling is an absolute must. The idea of entering into something that’s supposed to be a lifelong commitment, without thoroughly addressing all the issues—and potential issues—is a really bad idea. With that said, it’s been my experience that couples have a high probability of a successful marriage if they agree on four things, in detail, before the big day—kids, money, religion, and in-laws. With kids, the big question Dave RAMSEY It was Herb who kicked things off at the world dilemma think tank at the philosophy counter in the Mule Barn truck stop. Herb is like Nature itself. He abhors a vacuum, too. “Well,” Herb said, “it’s about that time again.” Three heads swiveled to look at him. “New Year’s resolutions … you know.” Three nods. “So Herb, what are your new resolves for the next year?” “Glad you asked, Dud. I thought I might lose 15 pounds, take sailing les- sons and come up with a good recipe for beef kidneys. How about you, Dud?” Dud took a sip of coffee. “Going to finish the rewrite of my book, I guess.” “The Duchess and the Truck Driver?” asked Doc. “Well, Doc, its actual title is ‘Murder in the Soggy Bottoms.’” Dud’s struggle with the plot of this novel is well known to most of us in town. Steve said, “For me, I think I’ll lose some weight, too, and paint the inside walls of the turret up at the is do you want them? If so, how many and when? Are you going to let them run wild, or are you going to provide structure and make them behave? When it comes to money, something it sounds like you two are already in agreement on, get all your cards out on the table, and construct an intelligent game plan for your finances that you both agree on. Staying away from debt, living on a written, monthly budget, and saving for the future are important parts of this. Also, be in agreement on religion. Statistically speaking, two people from the same faith have a better chance of making a marriage work. And finally, when it comes to your future in-laws, you need to learn who they are and what you’re getting into. What are they really like? What are the boundaries when it comes to their influence on your lives? All these topics should be discussed at length, dealt with, and agreed upon before the rings are exchanged. God bless you two, Allison! —Dave * Dave Ramsey is America’s trusted voice on money and business, and CEO of Ramsey Solutions. He has authored seven best-selling books, including The Total Money Makeover. The Dave Ramsey Show is heard by more than 12 million listeners each week on 575 radio stations and multiple digital platforms. Follow Dave on Twitter at @DaveRamsey and on the web at daveramsey.com. cabin.” “What color, Steve?” “Burnt orange. You know, something like sunset in winter when the leaves are gone and the trees stand like lacy filigree against the sky.” “Boys, I think we have a poet amongst us,” said Doc. “Aw Doc, come on,” Steve said. “What about your resolutions for the coming year?” Doc thought a minute. “Fair enough. I have some. In the coming year, I resolve to grow grapes and make some wine for my friends. Then I believe I’ll put in a big effort to catch Ol’ Lunker on a fly down in Lewis Creek. If I have the time, I’ll try to keep my patients healthy, and I’ll top it off with making a concerted effort to locate Chipper.” “Your imaginary squirrel?” “Yep.” “But Doc,” Herb said, “you already do those things now. Did you realize that?” “Sure,” Doc grinned. “Really makes it easy to keep a resolution that way.” Noem Statement On RFS Final Rule PIERRE, S.D. – Governor Kristi Noem today issued the following statement on the Environmental Protection Agency’s ruling to establish the required renewable volumes under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program for 2020: “President Trump made a promise to South Dakota farmers, and the rule the EPA announced today fails to hit that mark,” said Noem. “I appreciate the EPA’s efforts to bolster ethanol production across the country, but South Dakota producers deserve better. I will be communicating with EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler and President Trump on this issue.” In a joint October letter sent to the EPA from Noem and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Noem said that the agency’s proposed rules “demonstrate that EPA is oblivious to the harm it has caused.” In the past three years, the EPA has issued 85 small refinery waivers, representing a loss of over 4.3 billion gallons of biofuels. “While this rule needs more work, I’m grateful to the administration for fighting for American farmers and ranchers. I am glad to see the EPA building off our win to permit yearround sales of E-15 in their work to develop an infrastructure program. Increased ethanol production is absolutely critical for South Dakota producers as recent years have seen lower commodity prices and unstable market conditions,” Noem concluded. Noem currently serves as vice chair of the Governors’ Biofuels Coalition. Formerly serving as cochair of the Congressional Biofuels Caucus, Noem has been a leading ethanol advocate. She has met on numerous occasions with President Trump and top administration officials on the topic. The Wheelchair By Daris Howard Jack had loved cars since he was young. Now that he was retired, he especially loved the cars from his youth— vintage or antique cars, they were now called. The biggest and best antique car rally was coming up, and the minute the tickets became available, Jack purchased one. He could hardly wait for the big day. His ticket was going to be his Christmas present to himself. But just before the car show, he slipped and fell, putting him in a wheelchair. Jack was not about to let that stop him. He had a son who lived in the town where the rally was being held. Jack was sure his son would be willing to take him to the show. He called to find out. “David, if I can get down to your place, could you get me to the car rally?” Jack asked. “Sure, Dad,” David replied. “I’d love to go to it with you, but I have to work that day.” “That’s okay,” Jack replied. “If you can just get me there, I can spend the day, and then you can pick me up after work.” They worked out all the details. Jack would take the bus down to the town where David lived, arriving the night before the rally. Jack would stay at David’s house, and David would take him to the car rally on his way to work. Jack checked with the bus line, and they were willing to help him on and off. They would also fold up his wheelchair and put it into the luggage storage area. He was able to get a ride to the bus from a friend and was soon settled in for the four-hour trip. David was waiting at the bus stop when Jack arrived. David’s wife had a nice meal for them, then Jack retired early. He wanted to be alert for the next day and not miss a second of it. The next morning, after a robust breakfast, Jack was ready to go to the rally. David helped Jack into his car, and they were off. When they got to the rally, the doors were not yet open, and there was already a line. David helped Jack out of the car and into the wheelchair. Jack knew David was supposed to be to work at eight. “David, you go to work. I’ll be fine.” “Don’t you want me to help you at least get into the rally?” Jack shook his head. “I’m in line. I’ve got my ticket. What could go wrong?” With one last assurance, David went to work. David worked all day and then came back to get his father. But Jack wasn’t at the exhibit hall. Instead, David found out Jack was across the street at the nursing home. As David helped Jack into his car, he asked how the day went. “What I want to know is who the idiot is who decided to build a nursing home next to an exhibit hall!” Jack said. “Why?” David asked. “When I got to the door and was going to show them my ticket, I couldn’t find it. While I searched for it, someone decided I must have escaped from the nursing home. They wheeled me all the way there before I was able to find my ticket. They still checked with the nursing home manager to make sure I hadn’t escaped before they took me back.” “But you got back and went to the show all right, didn’t you?” David asked. “Yes, but there were more than a dozen times during the day that someone thought I escaped. Sometimes they called the nursing home, and a staff member came, and sometimes the person thought they would be helpful and take me back themselves. I swear I spent half of my day trying to straighten things out so I could stay in the exhibit.” “Is that why you were at the nursing home when I picked you up?” David asked. “Not totally,” Jack said. “There was one car I really wanted to ride in, so I may have let on to the owner that I’d escaped from the nursing home, hoping he would feel sorry for me and give me a ride back. Even though it was just across the street, I figured he’d lengthen the ride around town, and I was right.” “You let the car owner think you had come from the nursing home so he’d give you a ride?” David asked in surprise. “Isn’t that sneaky?” “All I can say,” Jack replied, “is if a man is dealt a bad hand, he should use it to his advantage.” Still searching for that dream job? Find it in the classifieds! 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