Diversity Newcomers Long Shot Win Overeaters Anonymous seemed like a long shot to me. How could it help me? I didn’t have serious weight issues—but my eating …
Abstinence Share It Compelling Benefits I have been reading Lifeline for years and have loved many articles, but this is the first time I felt compelled to respond …
Steps Soul Food Step Five is where we begin to learn how to love ourselves. Most of us know something is wrong in the way we’re living, but …
Traditions Entrusted Not Expert Am I a worthy ambassador for OA? About a year ago, I had the opportunity to volunteer at a public event alongside a high-pro…
Steps Traditions Self-Supporting through Service I sometimes use an image to explain the concept of OA groups being self-supporting. I draw a giant circle and label it “Ever…
Steps Traditions Automatic Recurring Service Service is one of the OA Tools, but it is also the backbone of our program. If nobody did any service, we wouldn’t have any …
Meetings Tools & Concepts Q&A Soirée Last year in January, I decided that a good OA service I could provide would be to offer a newcomers’ question-and-answer se…
Literature Tools & Concepts Taking Initiative I recently became a Lifeline rep. One of my initiatives was to get my home group to subscribe to Lifeline, not just for us, …
Service Chatting with Churches Regarding our primary purpose, my OA group reached out to all Milwaukee-area churches where OA meetings are held. First, I c…
Steps Traditions The Face of OA Recently, I came home after running a bunch of errands and realized I’d been wearing my name badge the whole time. Not only …
How OA Changed My Life Recovery True Freedom When a fellow OA member suggested I reflect on what true freedom looks like for me, I discovered I could probably write a book. Before OA, I truly felt I already had it in the form of a solid career, … Read More
Higher Power Spirituality Stepping-Stones, Nuggets, and Gems Spirituality is the solution to our problem of powerlessness, and we find this solution in the Twelve Step program of recovery. I’ve experienced three stepping-stones in this process: Amen, Amends, Am… Read More
The Road Narrows My twenty-ninth birthday in OA is approaching, and it is cause for renewed reflection about my program. I spoke to my sponsor a week ago and mentioned to her that I was thinking of not taking a candle this year. Other OA members on their birthdays pitch about life changes: weddings, kids, jobs, financial gain, or acquisition of cars. I … Read More
Share It: Powerful Shares, Joyful Reading, Pages and Prayers Powerful Shares I wanted to share how sad I am to hear about the discontinuation of Lifeline. It has literally been a lifeline to me. I am one of the ones who answered your 2018 subscription appeal, and I recently renewed my subscription and will cherish every last issue. Thank you for the articles about “The Joys of Retreats and … Read More
Recovery Beyond Measure In a few days, I will celebrate thirty-eight years of recovery in OA. Today my goal is health, sanity, and wellness, not a size 8. Physically, my body has been a normal size for many years. G-d has removed the compulsion for what I call “the hard stuff”—the stuff you see at the grocery checkout counter. I have reached a … Read More