"My Testimony and How I Am Trying to Have A Relationship With Christ Instead of Legalistic Religion."

Well; where do I start? I grew up in a Christian household where both of my parents where Christians; my father was a deacon and my mother was a deaconess and they were both members of Evanston Avenue Baptist Church in Muskegon, Michigan until my mother died on Sunday, August 12, 2001. But; anyway I was part of Evanston Avenue Baptist Church from the time I was three years old until I was 27 years old and during those times I had lived with my parents and attended the church faithfully starting with being taught by Sunday School Teachers about David and Goliath and the Flannel Graph stories. Went to church Sunday Morning's; Sunday Night's; and Wednesday Night's for AWANA. Accepted Christ into my life when I was 12 years old and on Sunday, November 17, 1985 I received the Christian Water Baptism when I was 19 years old. From 1985 to 1993 I was a member of Evanston Avenue Baptist Church. I met Rebecca through Goodwill Industries and we dated from January 31, 1989 to June 29, 1992 we were engaged to be married from June 30, 1992 to Friday, April 22, 1994. During that time Rebecca and I were living together at Glen Oaks Apartments from April 01, 1993 to Friday, April 22, 1994 where we both had to be apart for one night before our wedding... Rebecca stayed with her parents and I stayed with mine. We were married at Westwood Reformed Church on April 23, 1994 by Reverend Steven Smallegan. After we got married Rebecca and I attended a few church services at Westwood Reformed Church...but after awhile we stopped going to church services there because my wife and I felt that we did not want to have anything to do with Denominational Churches and Organized Religion with all their Religious Legalism about Rules and Regulations and No Relationship at all with other Christian Believers. So; due to one of my former jobs that I had as working as a groundskeeper for the Muskegon Mall that was in Downtown Muskegon, Michigan from April 25, 1995 to May 20, 2000 my work schedule had fluctuated where I had to work Sundays and could not attend church and during that time I walked away from God and seriously began to backslide and not live the Christian Life I should have been living. On Easter Sunday in April of 2000 Rebecca and I attended Vineyard Christian Fellowship when it was located in the former Shaw Walker Factory on Western Avenue & Division Street and were introduced to Hal Hester and after the church service was over we both asked Hal about membership and water baptism. So; Rebecca and I discussed it over with each other that Vineyard Christian Fellowship was going to be where we would belong to a Non Denominational Church where there was Relationship and not Religion or Legalism. I re-dedicated my life again on May 21, 2000 and was re-baptized for the right reasons and Rebecca finally surrendered to Christ and was baptized on May 21, 2000. We both became members on October 01, 2000 and have been with Vineyard Christian Fellowship of Muskegon, Michigan ever since. Has the Christian Walk been easy or smooth sailing for me? No; because on April 03, 2009 I was laid off from the Muskegon Family YMCA and was unemployed from April 04, 2009 to July 21, 2011. Then I worked for Building Services Corporation from July 22, 2011 to August 17, 2011. No matter how difficult or how challenging things become in my life and marriage; my wife and I know that we are surrounded by church family at Church In The City Of Muskegon that will support us with encouragement and prayers.