Working on my Writing, Weight Loss, and Witness. Part Nine.
Writing
I am still working on chapter five. To be honest, I was barely able to write at all during this two week stretch due to some changes with my work schedule. While I couldn’t write much, I did have plenty of time to think. I have begun the brainstorming process for the book that I want to publish, and so far I’ve come up with some good ideas. I know I want it to be a kind of self-help book for Christians, but it’s hard trying to determine what that really looks like. How can I write something that will convey the message I want to get across while also being useful to my target audience?
I think it’s going to be a kind of mix between encouragement and accountability: like a list of what to do and what not to do. I’ll be mixing in my personal experiences throughout, so the memoir I’m writing will help me immeasurably. However, I will condense them to the basic facts so that the message doesn’t get lost in the story-telling. I want to focus on helping people, not just telling stories about myself.
The number one goal of this book will be to help people not make the same mistakes I did. The benefit of learning things the hard way is that you can see just how good the easy way really is, so you can describe it to others much better than someone who went that way in the first place. I have matured and learned so many things in my life through facing the repercussions of poor life choices that I have a lot of hard-earned knowledge to pass on.
I want to encourage people that they will never be alone, no matter what they do. God will love us through anything. We can choose to turn away from Him, and we can choose to turn back to Him. Just because we choose to turn away sometimes doesn’t mean he doesn’t want us to turn back to Him every time after that. His forgiveness and grace are absolutely relentless, and a life lived with God is more fulfilling, joyful, and peaceful than any other way.
Weight Loss
I started this goal of losing weight and getting in shape three years ago, in August of 2017. At the time, I weighed 257lbs and knew I needed to make a change. I then proceeded to lose 44lbs over the next 7 months and dropped all the way down to 213lbs. I was feeling good and doing good, until I accepted a promotion that I relocated to, far away from my support system of my friends and family. In that 13 month stretch, I proceeded to not only gain all the weight I previously lost back, but I even gained an additional 30lbs on top of it!
In August of 2019 I moved back near my family and friends, and I immediately decided to get back on the weight-loss train. At the time, I weighed 287.6lbs, and I set the goal of losing 100lbs so I could be at a healthy weight. Today, I officially passed the halfway mark, weighing in at 236.6lbs! I am so happy to see that I’m actually making progress, but I know there’s still a long way to go.
This journey has had so many ups and downs. I’ve failed to eat right, work out, or both on multiple occasions throughout this process. Sometimes it was only for a few days, sometimes it was for a few weeks. I know that I could have lost this weight a lot faster if I was just consistent, but I’m not going to beat myself up over it since I’m still moving forward. There’s so many goals that we all have in our lives, and it’s important to celebrate every time you hit another milestone, even if you still have a long way to go.
I want to encourage any of you who have decided to get healthy and lose some weight, that it’s ok if you don’t hit your goal weight in the time frame you set out for. Life’s not perfect, and we’re certainly not perfect, so if things get in the way or you make poor choices sometimes, try not to be too hard on yourself. The important thing is that you try. If you keep trying and making a serious effort, you will eventually get there. Keep pushing yourself and find encouragement from anywhere you can. I know you can accomplish your goals if you simply put your mind to it!
Here’s some progress pictures to show that I am moving in the right direction!
Witness
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
2nd Timothy 4:7
I love the idea of being able to say these words truthfully at the end of my life. I imagine the thought of seeing Heaven’s gates open up and speaking these words to God in such rapturous joy! I also think about who will be there with me when I speak them. I think about the people in my life that have been such integral parts of my faith, and I can’t wait to thank them by adding to this verse, “Because of your help in my life, I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
We cannot live this life alone. God made that very clear with the example of Jesus constantly being surrounded by people in addition to his twelve closest friends. This faith is meant to be shared with non-believers and believers alike. When you’re struggling in your faith, it’s the encouragement and support of your brothers and sisters in Christ that gets you back on track. When you’re on fire for your faith and everything is going well, it’s your duty to share the Good News with non-believers.
Whether it’s for support from other Christians or conversion of non-Christians, we are called to be in constant community with others. I have tried to live the Christian life on my own, and this situation led to massive failures in my life. God has called us to love. A huge part of love is trusting people enough to be vulnerable and completely real with them, so they can help you and motivate you to keep the faith. Letting others love you is an important part of Christianity.
Who are the people in your life that you would have to thank before you walk through Heaven’s gates for helping you along the way? I want you to picture those people in your mind, regardless if it’s just a few or if it’s many. Now, I want you to ask yourself and answer honestly, if you have been letting them help you with your current struggles recently. If you haven’t been brutally honest with them about the things that are hindering your faith, then you need to make it a point to reach out to them as soon as possible. Give them the opportunity to help you through this, just like you gave them the opportunity in the past enough for you to picture them as one of the key people who helped you get to Heaven. It’s easy to give love and support, but it’s sometimes hard to receive it or ask for it. However, you’re depriving them of the chance to live out the number one purpose of our faith, love, if you don’t tell them what you’re going through. God has surrounded each of us with a cloud of witnesses to encourage us, make sure you’re using this awesome gift every chance you get!
I will be writing a new post every two weeks on Wednesdays, so please keep a lookout for the next one. I really appreciate any comments, questions, or concerns you may have, and look forward to responding to any messages when I have time. I hope this blesses you and encourages you, and thank you for reading!
Sincerely,
Matt Casperite
Photo credit:https://www.posivibeman.com/2018/04/14/how-to-set-your-goals-in-life-and-achieve-them/
