By Jim Sloter

After our tour of the Cologne Cathedral, we did some window shopping, bought cologne in Cologne and headed out wondering if leaving the city would be as difficult as when we came in. Instead, it was easy and we were soon on an autobahn heading south. 

We are studying in the churches I serve the armor of God, that we find in Ephesians 6:10-17. God provides this armor for believers, to fight the attacks of Satan while we wait for His return. Today we look at the third piece of armor; Our feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 
 
Read the full column in the Nov. 4 Advance. 

Want to see improvements made in our local parks? You have an important role to play in making change happen. Sometimes it’s as easy as picking up the phone or filling out a survey. The City of Algona wants to hear from you with our parks survey, from now through Nov. 11. Stop by City Hall to pick up a paper copy or visit our website at www.ci.algona.ia.us to take the survey online. 
 
Read the full colunn in the Nov. 4 Advance. 

... By that time, frustration was really mounting. I made the turn-around – again – and headed back across. That time, I Immediately turned off of that confusing street, found a place to park and we walked to the cathedral. By the time we reached the cathedral, I had settled down and thoroughly enjoyed seeing that magnificent Gothic, 12th century edifice.  ...
Read the full colunn in the Nov. 4 Advance. 

... This time, I didn’t have with me my beloved New York Times crossword puzzle which, if you read my column on an earlier trip, caused me to not hear the gate change announcement, thus relegating me to an 8-hour wait for the next flight. This time I camped directly in front of my gate, ears at the ready to pick up any announcement of a change.  ...
Read the full column in the Nov. 4 Advance.

...  Right about that time I heard one of the flight attendants say to another attendant, “he’s talking to Betty.” “He’s talking to Betty.” Who’s talking to Betty? And about that moment former President Gerald Ford and three secret service agents walked on to the plane and sat down in first class. ...
Read the full colunn in the Nov. 4 Advance. 

The Iowa High School Athletic Association has a difficult task when it comes to figuring out how to effectively get to crowning champions in football. The weather deteriorates quickly in the fall, too many games can result in fatigue and injuries and given Iowa’s rural population, communities of similar sizes are farther apart geographically. This year, some teams in the middle-sized classes were routinely traveling 90-plus minutes.
 
Read the editorial in the Nov. 4 Advance.

Well, that was pretty anti-climactic, wasn’t it. Last Thursday, the Iowa Legislature got together and decided how congressional and legislative districts would be arranged for the 10-year period that starts in 2023 after the November 2022 general elections. There was a whole bunch of finger-pointing, hand-wringing, posturing and overall expressions of distrust among lawmakers about the matter over the course of the year.

October 31 is a special holiday for many Christians. This holiday’s origins are somewhat controversial, and many don’t even know what they are. On October 31, 1517, a German monk named Martin Luther nailed 95 theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany thus starting the Protestant Reformation. That is why October 31 is celebrated as Reformation Day. At Faith Church, I have been preaching a sermon series on the five solas of the Reformation.
 

   The Iowa Legislature’s to-do list should be a little longer after last week.
And people need to contact their senators and representatives in the Legislature to make sure they understand their duty is to protect the health and safety of Iowans.
The reason? The Iowa Supreme Court handed down a decision Friday that will pretty much keep the public in the dark when a physician is charged by state regulators with professional misconduct.

The United States government this week announced the border patrol had 1.7 million official encounters of people who crossed our southern border during the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30. The totals were 200,000 and 190,000, respectively, for August and September. That does not count the people who crossed the border without being encountered, a number which carries a wide range of estimates.

The Good Hand 
Michael Patrick F. Smith 
Viking 
ISBN 978-1-9848-8151-9 
$39 
 

Ask the question in any group and you are bound to get a wide array of answers – if people will discuss it honestly. The question? What is your position on vaccinations for COVID-19?
 
See the full editorial in the Oct. 28 Advance. 

I was 12 years old, and I could never have imagined what was to come when my parents dropped me off at Niagara Park about a mile and half from home for my little league game. 
They drove me because I was late after an eye doctor appointment, which should foreshadow for you my struggles as a ballplayer. Just couldn’t (can’t) see. 
Anyway, I started that terrible game day in a panic, I was late for pitching tryouts.

...As the virus continues to linger and evolve, it’s completely normal and reasonable to feel “COVID-19 fatigue.” Do we have it in us to do another lap with this virus? Or another 20 laps? How do we prepare to recover from this intact? Our health and the safety of others may depend on it.