OGDEN -- Sister Stephanie Mongeon, of the Mount Benedict Monastery, has the perfect solution for all those who are unhappy with their current body image -- serve others.
"When we give to others, it takes calories," she said to a laughing crowd at this week's kickoff luncheon for the United Way of Northern Utah annual giving campaign.
Mongeon had told the crowd that her secular profession is that of a nutritionist.
"Encouraging people to develop their full potential is one of the passions of my life," she said.
"What we have is God's gift to us and what we give is our gift to God."
Her speech was an effort to get more people in the Top of Utah to give to United Way this year, both monetarily as well as through service.
She is one of a handful of area religious leaders this week to discuss ways church members could become better followers of their faith.
"The Salvation Army's founder, Gen. William Booth is quoted as having said, 'The greatest of a man's power is the measure of his surrender!' " wrote Salvation Army Ogden Corps Lt. Peter C. Pemberton in an e-mail to the Standard-Examiner.
"This can be viewed in different ways, but I think that surrendering an attitude of selfishness to one of selflessness could be agreed by everyone as a good place to start."
Mongeon discussed keeping three legs of a tripod in a person's life in balance -- life, leisure and prayer.
Pastor Jeff Wait, of the Ogden Seventh Day Adventist Church, said prayer, Bible study and being active in what you've studied were like three legs of a stool.
"If you just study your Bible and you don't get out and share, you aren't in balance," he said. "The three just go hand in hand. In order to be complete, you have to have an active ministry based on the Bible study and prayer that you've been doing."
Wait said it's important for one's own spiritual well-being to take care of the widows and people in need, including the poor, to visit those in jail and to help out those you can, using the spiritual gifts that you have.
But Wait also joked about not venturing beyond one's gifts for the cause of righteousness.
He said his wife would not be able to preach and he is no singer.
"If I was to try to sing, you'd have people who couldn't run out fast enough," he said. "You couldn't lock the doors fast enough."
Mongeon also said knowing one's self is key.
"It's a matter of realizing who I am and I am so endlessly gifted in having a positive influence on others," she said. "I am going to look at all people as a gift, and we share this giftedness together."
Mongeon said life goes much better with a positive attitude.
Area churches are invited to be part of the annual campaign of United Way of Northern Utah. For information, call United Way at 801-781-2216.
Comments