My history with religion

I just wanted to post a quick story about where I am and where I have been in my journey. Growing up in North Carolina, like many people here, I was raised in a Baptist church. As a child, I never really understood Christianity as I do today. The church that I was brought up attending though my early years was what I think of as the typical Baptist church. We had services on Sunday morning, evening and Wednesday night. It seemed to me to pretty much be the same sermon over and over again which pointed out some way that people sin and giving the alter call with 'I surrender all' as the hymn. It would end the same way each Sunday, as I can hear the pastor say: "If there is anyone here (tonight, today, etc.) that doesn't know Jesus Christ as their personal Savior....pray to ask Jesus into your heart".

Well, as a kid I thought I was doing something wrong (maybe I was?). I'd pray the little prayer just like I was supposed to......but nothing. No miraculous changes, no shining light, no different feeling. In that church they always preached about 'the day I was saved', being the day that you prayed the prayer. Well, needless to say I never wrote any of the dozens of dates down.

--sidenote--
I remember Sunday school as church as a child as well. I was a pretty good pupil as pupils go. I received several 'stars' in my early years for knowing things about the Bible, Bible verses, etc. ( King James Version of course, it was the only way ) however I do recall one particular Sunday where we were asked to do a worksheet where one of the questions was to circle the figure that could be satan. Well there we two figures: a 'devil', horns and all or just a regular looking person. Well of course it was the one with horns! Or not, as I came to find out that the devil can lurk anywhere...very disturbing for my young mind.
--end sidenote--

As I came 'of age' or whatever they called it, I did not get Baptised. I never got the 'feeling' that I was 'saved' so I did not feel as if I was worthy. (you had to be cognizant of your decision to be Baptised, i.e. No infant Baptisms) As a teen we stopped going to church so frequently. Our pastor has remarried after his wife died and there was a big falling out in the church. We had a new pastor that many didn't like. Went to college and didn't really pursue any kind of religious activities in college.

It wasn't until about 5 years ago that I feel like I was called back to God. For no real good reason at all, my wife and I decided to buy new NIV Bibles and start reading. I tried to read the KJV one as a kid but generally just ended up confused. However, now I don't think it was so much the translation as it didn't make sense with what we were being preached at in church. The NIV was easy enough to read but not understand. I had thought the Bible was about 'Holy' people, but it ended up just being about people just like me, real, true, sinning people. Do you know what King David did? Most if not all of the people in the Bible have tons of faults, not high and mighty, holier than thou! Pretty cool, huh? As we moved to a new town, we started attending church (Methodist). Not that I think any one denomination has it right or wrong. In fact, I think none are correct but only as good as we as humans can muster up. However, I have at least found a church which is fairly open minded (uses more than one version of the Bible as an example) and that is somewhat interconnected with the church universal (which I think is important), in that the church meets together with other Methodist leaders and leaders from other denominations from around the world. It also seems to be more apt to allow you to think beyond the simple prayer and going to church every week. Not only to be in attendance but to be active, to be the hands and feet of Christ here on earth. It is a mentality that makes more sense to me. I will try to post more on this later as not to ramble on any longer. Just a brief history.