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