My Testimony

I will try to do this with fifteen minutes of reading.
My mother and father were married right out of high school.  Father went into the Navy, mother stayed home.  After they got married, my mother found out about her husband's playboy ways, as he got two women pregnant in high school alone.   He never stopped his ways, as he proceeded to gt to Asian women pregnant while still married, and denying that me and my younger sister were even his.  Parents divorced before I was three.
Lived through high school under the single parent and I believe my mother did what she could.  With no father to lead (reasons stated before), I did not know anything about ladies, dating and I was very shy and quiet.  I was hurt by the girls in my neighborhood during my high school days, and my mother feared me getting hurt trying out for sports I wanted to play.  Raised in low income family, we did what we could. 
After trying college and not ready for its challenges, I failed out in two attempts, leaving me with very few options, but I chose to join the US Navy.   The benefits I had was traveling around the world, meeting new people and getting a paycheck.  The cons was I was getting nowhere in advancement, I was cheated out of a promotion and was never given a chance on the direction I wanted to go.  I felt the people I worked along with were not trustworthy, stealing whenever they could, and I could not feel safe for another four years.  So I left.
A year and a half later, domino effect leading to homelessness.  A car accident led to losing my job, where I lost my place, and ended up homeless...for five years.  My mother, family relative, they all deserted me, which later would become a blessing.  I finally found a homeless shelter, where I was in and out for over five years.  During this time, there were mandatory Bible studies and it began to take effect on me,  Sometime in 1993, I asked Jesus to come to my life.  I did not know the Holy Spirit or accepting Jesus as LORD, this will come into play later.
After four years, I began dating a woman who I found to be estranged, but still married.  I fell for the belief she wanted a divorce, so I gave her the money I saved from working a boys camp (note: she still has not been divorced after fifteen years when we dated), and moved in with her.  As can be imagined, it did not work out and I moved out, renting a room.  Soon was my first experience with God. 
I cried out wondering why this was all happening to me.  On my knees, God spoke directly to me and said, "You tried it your way now try it Mine."  I rededicated my life to the LORD that night. 
I dated another woman and things were shaky, but the one that kept it working was my growing relationship with her father, who was a godly man.  Unfortunately, she had an attachment to another man sexually and after sixteen months, I finally cut the ties.  Later did I realize God that He was testing her between spirit and flesh.  She did not choose me.
I wondered if my dream I had around sixteen were I saw a wife and two kids would come to fruition.  I gave up this dream to the LORD and soon after began dating a woman who God led me to pray for while teaching a Bible study on intercession.  She later became my wife of now twelve years.  I also have one daughter and one son, who I love very much and enjoy being a father and husband.
One accomplishment I can say I did that some people say would be difficult.  I graduated WITC-Superior (Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College) while in a homeless shelter in 1995 with a 3.75 GPA, which surprised me.  I had rules where I had to be back at certain times, attend Bible studies, and did work studies around my schedule.  Also received my amateur radio license, and was chosen to teach second year students after graduation.  That was an honor I truly enjoyed doing.
I can admit I have struggled with things at time, and it is truly due to all the false doctrines, some I almost got into and spent much time protecting my wife from the full fruition of these works.  With the church under attack, many others using secular methods to attract them to their church and not Jesus, others believing in special manifestations, there is a big fight finding a well-balanced church who is not afraid to preach to a sinner to holiness.  I have had to literally begin to tear some foundation and rebuild, but saddened when more doctrines come more prevalent each day.  I wonder if holiness is ever attainable with all that is going on.  I just want God again in a day and age where He is needed more than ever.
Hope you enjoyed my testimony...

Jeremiah 6:16

Michael