| The snow softly fell producing mounds of | | | | from her parents. And Tori who was a |
| glistening white newness to the | | | | wonderful decorator sold upholstery, |
| surrounding houses. All things looked | | | | window treatments and even carpet. |
| clean as if the snow had washed away all | | | | Our upholstery and design business was |
| bleakness and allowed a new beginning. | | | | growing. It was as if God reached down |
| It was Christmas time. The children | | | | from heaven and blessed all our work to |
| were excited and the decorations were | | | | pay us back for all the persecutions we |
| hung. The tree was all aglow and | | | | endured. |
| beneath its branches lay colorfully | | | | I was a very dedicated Christian. I was |
| wrapped presents. | | | | raised a Baptist who did not believe |
| I loved this time of the year. I liked | | | | that living a homosexual lifestyle was |
| all the shopping and the searching for | | | | right before God. |
| the perfect gift for all of my children | | | | To drastically change my belief system |
| and extended family members. I enjoyed | | | | and become gay, revealed yet another |
| putting out each piece of my nativity | | | | secret. From the moment my life began |
| set and worshiping the birth of Jesus in | | | | to change I began to receive secret |
| my church. And I loved how each of my | | | | typed messages from God. |
| children took every detail in and lit up | | | | These messages reflected God's will for |
| with pure joy. | | | | my life. They made me determined to |
| When my children were small it was a | | | | stand up to the Religious world I had |
| tradition to go to their minister | | | | been raised to believe was absolutely |
| grandpa's house and read the Christmas | | | | the only way to worship God. They gave |
| story. But when my life took a sudden | | | | me strength to hold onto my faith |
| turn everything changed about this | | | | regardless of how hard my life had |
| holiday. | | | | become. |
| Now our family was mixed. A divorce can | | | | These secret messages helped me to |
| do that. It can change traditions and | | | | believe beyond my ability to understand |
| force children who don't want their | | | | why the church persecuted people like |
| families to change to celebrate | | | | me. They made me find the answers as to |
| differently. Before, all members of my | | | | why homosexuality was created by God. |
| family and my husband's family joined | | | | God captured my mind and made me depend |
| together to celebrate the birth of | | | | on Him with these words because of the |
| Christ. | | | | constant persecutions that Tori and I |
| Now Tori and I were about to start our | | | | faced. "My Ways Are Not Human Ways, |
| own traditions in our new house. Tori | | | | Trust in Me, Pray for protection from |
| had invited her parents to our house to | | | | Satan, God Has Spoken, I love you Linda" |
| celebrate Christmas day. | | | | I clung to these words with a |
| This was going to be a real challenge to | | | | determination to make the best of Tori's |
| Christmas because her parents didn't | | | | and my life together. During this |
| know that I lived with her. Tori had | | | | Christmas season we would begin making |
| fabricated an elaborate story | | | | our own traditions in spite of all of |
| surrounding her life. She was | | | | our secrets. |
| supposedly engaged to a man who was in | | | | We had a two story house with a full |
| the mafia. | | | | basement. We decorated two Christmas |
| A man whose identity had to be kept | | | | trees, one in the master bedroom suite |
| secret in order to protect her and her | | | | and one in the family room downstairs. |
| son. A story her parents demanded | | | | My children and I would quietly |
| because they would not accept her having | | | | celebrate Christmas upstairs. To my |
| a relationship with another woman. | | | | surprise they enjoyed just spending |
| Tori had sole custody of her son because | | | | their time with me. They loved their |
| her ex-husband confessed to child abuse. | | | | presents and together we read the story |
| Her ex had no interest in seeing his | | | | of the birth of Jesus. |
| son under the supervised visitation | | | | Our house may have been filled with |
| specified by the courts. So she was | | | | secrets, but our hearts were filled with |
| Brad's sole parent. | | | | the Spirit of Christmas and love. Jesus |
| In the past her parents threatened to | | | | gave us a determination to be the family |
| take Tori's 5 year old child away, if | | | | God wanted us to be separate from those |
| they ever found out she was with me. A | | | | who didn't understand. |
| threat that was easily feared since I | | | | The day passed and the years proceeded |
| was deprived of being my three | | | | with the secrets we held inside the |
| children's custodial parent by the court | | | | walls of our home. No regrets, no |
| system. | | | | turning back we found our way because we |
| It was not an easy front to keep up. We | | | | placed our trust in God. |
| had to be very careful even with how we | | | | The falling snow sparkled giving way to |
| handled work. In secret we ran an | | | | a brand new world igniting into light. |
| upholstery business out of our home. We | | | | An understanding that sacrificing our |
| advertised through a local free paper | | | | traditions are not really what's |
| with a separate phone line for the | | | | important during the Christmas season. |
| business, never using our real names. | | | | The most important part of Christmas is |
| I worked in the basement of our house | | | | the gift of God's Son and the love He |
| securely hidden from any sudden visits | | | | can bring to each persons life. |