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Hi, my name is Linda Aslinger I am a 57 year old mother of four children, two girls and two boys and a grandmother of 17,
4 of which are step-grandchildren and I have 1 step great grandchild. I was born in New Orleans, La. I was told when I was
three days old, that when my mother came out from the hospital she handed me to my grandmother (my fathers’ mother)
and said “she is yours.” My grandmother raised me as if I was hers. I went to school in Chattanooga, but I dropped
out when I was in the 11th grade. At 18 I married my first husband that marriage lasted only 18 months. I married my second
husband at the age of 20, I had two children with him and when my daughter was 5 months old we divorced. I married my third
husband we only stayed married one year. But we always kept going back together and I had two more children. When I had my
first child I knew he was a boy, God came to me in a dream and told me that the child was a boy baby. As he did when I had
my second child I knew she was a girl before she was born. (This was before ultrasound was around) I knew that my life was
not what it was suppose to be, something was always missing, all through three marriages. I was asked to go to a gay bar one
night and see a show, a little not sure, I went anyway. I liked this and it was a lot of fun. I kept going and getting to
know a lot of the people that did shows. One of the well known queens at that time told me one day that I would have a relationship
with a women. Well, I don’t think so! I was always told that people who had relationship with the same sex was sick.
I was taught that the bible said you would go to hell for engaging in such an act. So I didn’t ever want to go to hell.
But to make a long story short I started to get attracted to some of the girls that I hung out with. Finally I had a experience
with one of the girls. I felt different than when I had been married. My best friend Betty, introduced me to my first live
in relationship. Still I felt wrong, being with a woman. My lover at the time mother was visiting, she is a true woman of
God. I told her about my feelings and she said to me, “I don’t approve of the kind of lifestyle my daughter lives,
but if that is what she chooses, she is my daughter and I still love her.” She went on to tell me that the bible has
been written and rewritten so many times that who to say that when it was rewritten that they put there own interpretation
of way they feel. Well knowing of her faith in God, I knew she would not tell me anything wrong. I felt at peace. Like in
any relationship there was up and downs, break ups, I always turned to God, of course as we all do when we need help. I didn’t
go to church because it took time out of my daily fun times, like fishing, shopping, sleeping, and watching TV. One night
I prayed to God to just send my girlfriend back home and I would go to church. He answered and of course I didn’t keep
my word, and went on my daily everyday routine. That happened four times, and four times I promised Him that I would go to
church. One night when I was praying a voice said to me “You are one of my chosen ones.” And in a dream that I
believe that God sent to me was dark headed person, but I never saw a face. In this dream I knew and felt the love for them.
I had this dream several times. I felt guilty like I was almost cheating on the person I was with. That relationship lasted
14 years. In my next relationship, she was dark headed and I thought that the person that I had a dream about was her. In
that relationship I had the same dream. Now I was really confused. For five years it was an on again, off again relationship.
I prayed to God and asked him to please send me whom ever it is to love me and I could be happy. After that prayer I turned
it over to God. One day I got a call from a person that I never knew existed. In our lengthy conversations I found out that
four years prior to this conversation she had fell in love with me and knew that someday she didn’t know how but we
would be together. We moved in together and of course we had a breakup. Again I prayed on my knees for 30 days at night, for
God to send her back to me, if it was his will, if not to please take these feelings that I had for her away and make me straight.
(Ha!) I was tired of this life and all the heart aches. If he did send her back than I promise that I would go to church somewhere
and take the two girls. If not I promised that I would still go to church and take the girls. Guess what? She came home. She
mentioned us going to church before I could. We started going to church. We had our Holy Union in 2002. I never dreamed that
I would be the wife of a Pastor. The moral of the story is that God answered my prayers, I didn’t live up to my promises,
and he still loved me enough to keep answering my prayers. That is when I realized that I must be one of His chosen ones.
I want to live and do what God wants me to do. I didn’t go into everything that has happened in my life, but I can tell
you God has always been with me and protected me. I was saved at the age of 15, and I truly believe that God has watched over
me and when I call on him he has answered. By the way Pastor Pam was that dark headed person the God was sending in my dreams;
I have never had that dream again. God tried to tell me in the dream that one day I would be happy. I TRULY BELIEVE!!!!!!!!
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