These three verses are a few I plan to hold in 2021. 
“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” Philippians 4 
“Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” 1 Peter 5
“Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?”
Matthew 6

The Twelve Days of Christmas may be a traditional folk song, but the words support our Christian faith in an everlasting way.
A Partridge in a pear tree represent Jesus becaus the Partridge is a bird that will sacrifice its own life to save its little ones.
Two Turtle Doves signify the Old and New Testaments.
The three French hens stand for faith, hope, and love.
Four Calling birds signify the four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
Five golden rings refer to the first five books of the Old Testament, which detail man's fall to sin and highlights God's love by sending a Savior.
Six geese a-laying, stands for the six days of creation.
Seven swans a-swimming are the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit (wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord.)
Eight maids a-milking showcase the eight beatitudes.
Nine ladies dancing are the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit (love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.)
Ten lords a-leaping are of course the Ten Commandments.
Eleven pipers-piping refer to the eleven faithful Apostles.
Twelve drummers drumming symbolize the twelve beliefs of The ‘Apostles' Creed.’          

 The picture (above) on the right is a1910 postcard illustrating Santa Claus with the words "I bring you a merry Xmas from...”
Many of us know the word ‘Christmas’ represents Christ’s mass, which is a church service that celebrates the birth of Jesus, However the words Christmas and XMAS have the same origin.  The use of the word, XMAS goes as far back as Christianity. In Greek, the word Christ begins with the letter X. Most research shows this abbreviation dates back to 1021.

​Inspiration and ideas for spreading cheer to yourself and others.
Christmas Inspiration touches on the history of the holiday and the Christmas tree. It highlights a few meanings to the decorations we commonly use.
Find simple, beautiful DIYcrafts, delicious old-time holiday recipes or get encouraged by poetry and songs. ​

                                 Herbed Bread Twist 
 Ingredients
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon each dried basil, marjoram and oregano
1 loaf (1 pound) frozen bread dough, thawed
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 large egg
1 tablespoon water
4 teaspoons sesame seeds
Directions
In a small bowl, combine butter and seasonings. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 12-in. square. Spread with butter mixture to within 1/2 in. of edges; sprinkle with cheese.
Fold dough into thirds. Cut widthwise into 24 strips. Twist each strip twice; pinch ends to seal.
Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 40 minutes. Then beat egg and water. Brush over dough. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Bake at 375° until light golden brown, 10-12 minutes.   

      Brown Sugar Bacon Roasted Sweet Potatoes
 
Ingredients
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1″ cubes
5 strips of bacon, diced
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup brown sugar + more for sprinkling
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or tin foil. Peel your sweet potatoes.
In large bowl add your sweet potatoes and olive oil and toss to coat. Add in your bacon and brown sugar and again toss to coat and distribute bacon. Lay the ingredients on the baking sheet.
Roast in oven for about 30 minutes or until sweet potatoes are tender.
Remove from oven and sprinkle with additional brown sugar.

                Thanksgiving Secret
Matthew Blake left home in search of fame. Years later, writer’s block threatens his career. He returns to his roots hoping to rejuvenate his creative juices and meets Lucinda Wise. Unknown to Matt, he’s involved in a mystery, that is soon to be unearthed.

 Lucinda rents her tiny house to Matt. Despite his self-centered ways, she finds herself enjoying his company and sharing her faith with him. 
​As Thanksgiving approaches, Matt discovers that Lucinda is the partaker of a secret that will change his life forever.   Can Matt accept God’s plan for his future?

https://www.amazon.com/Thanksgiving-Secret-Romance-Book-ebook/dp/B074MJ11K5/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=mary+l+ball+Thanksgiving+Secret&qid=1605906363&sr=8-2
​

Christopher, I pray your son is healthy now. I agree this pandemic has crossed the lines. I’m sure many people will suffer illness because the health care system’s only focused is the virus.

How did you come up with the title for your book? 
When I began writing, many of my peers were making a lot of noise on social media, claiming that Jesus would wear a mask. I cannot find a scrap of biblical evidence that would advocate that and discuss this from both a historical and biblical perspective. I think there is great danger of viewing Jesus through a lens that makes Him always agree with our own opinions and look exactly like us.  The idea of putting Jesus in a muzzle came from that thought: people are forcing even their God to wear a mask, but I’m not convinced that we can (or should) do that. The rest of the title goes into some of the topics that are tertiary to that idea: Christian liberty and freedom, how should our faith intersect all aspects of our lives including our politics, and how ought we to act towards our government and fellow man.
 
Every state has been crippled, as officials stepped in to try and contain this pandemic. During this important time do you think responses could be handled differently? If so why? 
I think that the proverb is right: “the road to hell is paved with good intentions.” The world is increasingly polarized and because people aligned political platforms with COVID response, they lost the ability to course correct when new data was released. I don’t know anybody who objected to “flattening the curve.” But when the fourteen day shutdown turned into months on end and governmental interference and invasion to every aspect of life, it was no longer about saving lives. But those with power had already dug in, and by spinning stories in the media and dictating the narrative (and keeping us in a constant state of jumping at shadows) allows it to continue. I, for one, want to turn on the lights. Ultimately, I think decisions need to be more localized. I talk about this with what my son went through. My community hadn’t had any actual diagnosed infected at that time… but the media-stoked fear combined with one-sized-fits-all regulations that don’t meet the needs of rural communities do far more harm than good. It does things like strip medical attention and options anywhere but in metro areas… and that leads to unnecessary deaths—the thing the regulations were meant to curb. I don’t like being collateral damage in someone else’s struggle (and I don’t think you do, either.) 
 
Absolutely not.  Nothing about this should be ‘one size fits all.’   
The H1N1 virus in 2009 killed many. Influenza in 1968 held a death toll of 1 million. The Asian flu of 1957 caused 2 million deaths; a 1918 pandemic was responsible for 30 million and the Sixth Cholera pandemic of 1911 killed 800,000. Given the history of flu like deaths why do you think the government reacted differently this one?
I would admit to being something of a conspiracy theorist. Especially the older I get, the more coincidences seem to have a guiding hand. Also, I’d want to point out in your numbers above that the global population was smaller at the time, so the early 1900s death tolls are actually worse than they appear at face value. That said my book talks about data with raw numbers, which seems to dehumanize the stats. I understand that when people die, it’s a person. My son was one of those potential numbers; in the book, I discuss cancer numbers. My Grandmother died of spinal cancer only a couple years ago. She is both a person and a number on a data sheet. I believe a lot of strings are pulled by people with skin in the game. The Media wants to sell stories (ad revenue, etc.) Politicians want to stay in power. Businesses want to make more money. Politicians are often invested all around, and I cite multiple stories of political corruption directly linked to COVID. Honestly, even the World Health Organization was caught with their hand in the cookie jar… but this is a problem of human evil existing in a world where a virus can become an opportunity to be exploited, and I believe that is exactly that what happened.
 
You use the quote ‘I prefer dangerous freedom over peaceful slavery.’ from Thomas Jefferson in your blurb, why?  
At its face value, I think this statement sums up my feelings. A lot of people want a safety net; many Americans think the government should provide safety wheels for our lives—but to do that we would need to be comfortable giving up control to other people. I don’t have enough faith in the government to do that. Letting someone else control you sounds an awful lot like slavery to me. (In my book, I do a brief word study on Romans 13 and the word “submission.” It’s not written in the Greek how people usually translate it in English.) When my son was four he wanted to learn to ride a bike without training wheels. I told him I would take them off when I returned from work. I got home just in time to see him using a wrench to remove the second training wheel, pick up his bike, and ride down the sidewalk. As an analogy for life and modern government, I would have punished him for that. Instead, I was prouder than ever for his initiative and determination. He risked doing it wrong, ruining his bike, and falling an injuring himself, but he wanted to ride the way he was meant to. I would rather be subjected to danger but allowed to determine my own destiny rather than allow a bureaucrat to determine glass ceilings for my life, or guidelines when he or she has little or no understanding of the facts (or has an ulterior motive.)
 
I’m sure many will want to purchase a copy of ‘Muzzling Jesus: Liberty, Faith, Politics, and the Mask Debate’ where can they find it and also learn more about your other books?
My website or my amazon author profile is both good places. My website has a bookstore feature and people can buy direct, but they can get it elsewhere as well.
https://www.authorchristopherdschmitz.com/
http://amazon.com/author/christopherdschmitz
 
Is there anything else you want to say to the readers?
My fiction is primary genre based (Sci-fi, fantasy, YA) and if you like stories by guys like Frank Peretti or Ted Dekker, then I think you’d find my books familiar. You can also send me email through my website and I teach workshops on writing and self/indie publishing.
 
Christopher thanks for offer. I appreciate you being on my blog and for putting your knowledge out there to give us informative choices. 
Readers I hope you check out Christopher D. Schmitz other novels at:
Direct paperback:
https://treeshaker-books-store.square.site/product/muzzling-jesus-liberty-faith-politics-and-the-mask-debate/28?cp=true&sa=true&sbp=false&q=false
Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08HSP96MW
other bookstores linked:
https://books2read.com/u/bMPeYV/ 

Justina Prima is a registered nurse living in Maine with her
husband. She writes and edits articles for church publications. She is also an avid supporter of Collie Rescue of New England and fosters those in need.

Her first novel 'The Pawnbroker's Ring' is life's lesson in sharing the need of a strong faith to overcome our human weaknesses.
Tunnels: The White House is the first in a series and published by Gordian Books, an imprint of Winged Publications.
​Available on Amazon.​

Justina, Describe your writing space.
I have a very comfortable living room chair and use a pillow to set my laptop on. Not very desirable, but as long as the dogs have been walked and husband sent off to work, I can write away!
​
Do you like audio books, physical books, or e-books better? 
A big preference for physical books. Why? There is nothing like the smell of a bound book and the touch when turning a page. It could be, perhaps, being raised that way I can’t quite adapt to e-books
 
How do you research for your Historical fiction books?
The Internet has made research so much easier. Just one word on what I’m looking for brings so many possibilities and often times’ changes the scenes in the book, or even the plot. I also like YouTube. Right now I’m researching the next in the Tunnel series. It’s on The Kremlin. There are so many videos out there on the Russian Revolution and Lenin.
 
How many novels do you have published?
The first book out there is The Pawnbroker’s Ring. I loved writing that one. The second has just been published: Tunnels-The White House.
 
What were your favorite parts, and least favorite parts, of the publishing journey?
In the early years, agents were needed, but not so much now. The very least part of it is the marketing. It’s the hardest part of the book journey; long hours and choosing what works best.

 Tell readers about your latest release, 'Tunnels: The White House.'
The Indian Removal Act of 1830 forced the relocation of Georgia’s Cherokee Nation to its new home in Oklahoma. Any treaties made prior to 1830, allowing the Cherokee to continue to live in Georgia, were broken. Mohe had learned of the Trail of Tears from his grandfather. This trek took thousands of lives, but their bravery held fast.
Now Mohe is intent on retrieving the Peace Pipe, which was used to cement the Tribe’s future in Georgia. The first step was completed. He had been accepted as a waiter for the President of the United States. Once there, his next move would be to search for a tunnel leading to the Smithsonian and reclaim the Peace Pipe.
However, Mohe had not planned to make friends, be attracted to the beautiful housekeeper or suffer disturbing dreams from his Spirit Guide.
With so many diversions, will Mohe succeed in returning the Peace Pipe to his people?  

Animals too, offer peace. If you have a cat, maybe you’ve noticed how hard it is to walk past the furry feline without touching it? There is comfort in petting a cat on the head or stroking its fur. My Ollie Boo is a spoiled baby. He likes his stuffed mouse, treats and lying on the computer desk sleeping. One day, I realized how often I pause, touch his long silky fur and feel the sense of peace.  With this year’s turmoil, peace has often played hide and seek.    

No one may feel as I, but these past months have been challenging. I pray for our country.
I pray we’ll get back to normal and not lose our liberties.
One thing, which makes us great, is free will, when that is gone, pride leaves, so does the passion for life. I pray our nation never takes on unrealistic conditions, in the name of ‘normal.’
 
Since March, I’ve needed to stand strong to keep from giving into sadness, which tries to shadow me from time to time. Many days comfort comes through God’s Holy Word.
​I hope the below verses cover you with peace as well.
 
“Every word of God [is] pure: he [is] a shield unto them that put their trust in him.” Proverbs 30:5
 
“Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.” Psalm 55:22(KJV)
 
“The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.” Psalm 9:9
 
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1
 
Two favorites:
“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4
 
“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”  Philippians 4:​13

Do you have a favorite Bible Verse?

If August is your birth month you can claim multiple stones, peridot is the main gem, followed by the spinel and the sardonyx. 

The peridot (associated to a topaz) has always represented genuineness, faithfulness and devotion. It’s believed the beautiful light green color is imparts sovereignty. An ancient myth states that peridot was a gift from Mother Nature to praise the creation of a new world. Many believe this gem aids in friendships and clears the mind from harmful ideas.

Sardonyx represents spiritual life and is associated with courage, happiness and distinct communication. Early Romans considered this stone to inspire ethical values and promote a righteous conduct. Its color is an intriguing reddish brown with veins of hues. 

The spinel is the last birthstone for August, found in an array of colors, with dark pink being the most popular. This gem is associated with courage and said to give a calming energy.
 These august birthstones have a faith-filled meaning for you.
If an August child, you're able to choose your stone. No matter which you decide these gemstones have overlapping characteristics. All three birthstones support clarity of mind and peaceful aspirations.
You seek after happiness and have a generous way of promoting peace. Your good-natured attitude serves you well and many people respond positively to you.
On occasion when met with an unsettling circumstance, you can draw optimism, compassion and patience from your birth month. Creativity and the gift of clear communication is your forte.
On the days when everything seems upside down, you get discouraged, but after a little time of meditation you always find the balance needed to once again put a smile on your face.   
How can your Spiritual Birthstone help you to become the best you can be?
All the gems for August bring forth inner peace. Times may come when you doubt, but you can stay strong, rooted in understanding that your birth month is blessed.
Draw on the calmness obtained by a heavenly serenity, which lives within you. Realize you are skilled with an ability to speak with ease and bring positive change.
 
                                 Taken from “A Gem of Worth-Spiritual Birthstones.”          

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08B1N7ZHJ/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i3www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08B1N7ZHJ/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i3

 If you enjoy watching Hallmark's  celebration  of Christmas in July, then  you'll  want to grab some holiday reads from many of  the wonderful authors of Winged Publications.
​Lot's of great romances, some with mystery and susupense.  No matter how you like romance, there is a book for you that is sure to make you look forward the the chilly tempertures and the coming holidays.