Life, Religion, and catching up.

It has been a seriously long time since I have written in this!!  I've been meaning to get on here again since at least New Years Eve and I wanted to write a little about a subject that some people have asked me about recently.  RELIGION!!!  OMGosh!!!  To some non believers it seems like such a scary word, to others it is their saving grace, to others it is their excuse to do bad things, but as for me it is my foundation to which all, YES I MEAN ALL, of my decision are based off.

One day I would like to think of myself as a leader, and as for this I hope that I can lead by example.  Here is what religion, for me the Christian religion, has done in my life and I would like to hope that an example of my life can help some people follow in my foot steps.   Sometimes religion is hard to explain, and its really hard to explain to someone that has never experienced it or has never had God part of their lives.  To be honest with you, I don't even really try to make sense of it all anymore, it just WORKS, I have faith that it does, and my experiences in life prove that it does.

I suppose I will start from the get go.  I was raised in a very Christian home with a mom and a dad that made religion the foundation of our house and our family.  Now I kicked and screamed my way to church pretty much my whole life, and I even tried to kick and scream my way out of Mater Dei High School (the private Catholic High School that I attended.)  I had no idea that my parents planting those seeds in my head throughout my life could very possibly be the greatest gifts that they could have ever given me.  Not that I wouldn't find out for myself one day, but the seeds for sure made things a little easier. 

No as soon as I was old enough to get out on my own, I did.  My mom always told me I was her "Wild Child." And that I was!   Church and religion was sitting in the back seat of my life.  The VERY back seat.  However it was always back there.  The activities that started to make me happy were parties, girls, and living life full throttle.  I lived in Huntington and Newport for roughly 12 years or so.  I ended up meeting and becoming friends with hundreds if not thousands of people.  As many people know I began the Social Group with some friends and partying was my living.  I got paid to know as many people as possible.  And now 10+ years after beginning that, I feel the God always had a purpose for me.  He knew that one day I would get back on track. And by knowing and meeting as many people as I have along the way, then just maybe one person out of those 1,000s will be able to read my story and turn their life around. 

After partying more than any one person ever should, I began to think about my life.  What was my purpose?  Even people that don't believe in God seem to think we all have a purpose.  So what was mine?  My career as a full time partier just wasn't cutting it for me anymore.  I wasn't full filled.  I needed more, I needed to make some changes in the people's lives around me.  Maybe I can make a change in yours??

I got out of the party business in 2009 and began working towards a career as a Firefighter/paramedic.  I went to EMT school, became an EMT, then went to paramedic school and became a paramedic.  I just recently got two paramedic jobs, one with AMR and one with Bowers.  When changing careers I finally started fulfilling my desire to make a change in peoples lives.  Some would say "I was doing God's work."  But was I really doing God's work, or just helping people in my community?  Hold that thought.

So next subject.  I went through many relationships in my life.  Some good, some bad, but I was never really satisfied.  After my last bad one was over several years ago, I  started thinking more and more about God.  I wanted him back in my life.  This actually was hard, because sometimes its so easy to think about it, so easy to say "yeah I believe in God," but so hard to actually get your butt involved.  If you are one of those people that say you believe but you are not involved I hope this Blog can encourage you to get involved.  Sooooo back to the relationships. 

About a year and a half ago I found my angel.  Her name is Summer (I'm assuming most people reading this know her, and if you don't, she is now my fiance).  Summer was going to church, Summer had faith, and Summer got me back involved with the church.  At first I must admit I was a little sceptical to get back into things.  I was just finishing paramedic school at the time, I was dating a beautiful woman, I had a job already doing what I thought was God's work.  Why did I need more?  I even thought because of my job in the medical field, that that was enough for me and I was done.  But she pushed and prayed I'm sure.  We both started getting more and more involved with church.  Her much faster than I.  But as I started getting more involved my life began to change.

Like I said in the beginning of this, God previously was sitting in the back seat, however after a short while he made his way to shotgun and eventually the drivers seat. 



Many people that know me well, can probably talk about how chill I am most of the time.  I seem to rarely have a worry in the world, and all of this is to blame on my faith.

Since I put God in the driver's seat, I have gotten engaged to the raddest woman in the world,  I have successfully completed paramedic school,  I have traveled all over the West Coast of the US, including Hawaii several times (while making the least amount of money I have ever made before), I have started a few small businesses, I have gotten two new paramedic jobs, I have made life long relationships with amazing people, and I have gotten rid of almost all of the stressors of my life.

So to answer the question about my thoughts on religion.  I really can't tell you anything other than IT WORKS.  And I am living proof of that.

I'm sure you've heard "everything happens for a reason."  Well I totally believe in that.  I believe that God put me into a career when I was younger so that I would be able to reach many many people.  I made thousands of relationships.  I feel that the relationships that I made were good and I am respected by the people that know me.  Hopefully because of this people will listen to me, pay attention to how I live, and then follow in my footsteps.

As for doing God's work and being a leader, I'm just going to continue to be ME.  I am doing God's work by living a happy, stress free life, and being a testament to the fact that he works, and I'm leading by example.
I know someone is going to read this and say "oh man, Matt is a church guy now," or "Give me a break that stuff isn't real," etc  Or many people might think church isn't cool or its just not for them. 

I still love to surf, BBQ, drink beers, watch football, go camping, learn new things, work, go to parties, hike, etc.  I am still the same person I have always been, I just have a huge superpower on my side now.

And if you say its not for you, then I dare you to try it.  And getting involved for a day isn't trying it.  Really give it a try and I promise it won't let you down.

If you read this and wanna talk more feel free to hit me up.  Too many of my friends have had their lives cut short, and some are currently living unfulfilled lives.  Its never too late to make a change.


Special thanks to my wonderful fiance Summer, my mom, and Tim Lukei for always planting seeds for me that are now growing into trees.

"I'm giving my life to the only One who makes the moon reflect the sun."

Life is good.

Matt