Diversity Newcomers One to Two, Gently I am a newcomer. I’ve been abstinent three weeks. For me, Step One has opened the path of “beginning to change.” Now that I …
Recovery Relationships Living Connected I would rather live in recovery than die in isolation. These words came to me as a spiritual truth, simple yet profound. Liv…
Meetings Tools & Concepts A Better Understanding I have heard it said, “A meeting is a meeting,” but I don’t really think that’s true. For a meeting to be strong, it must ha…
How OA Changed My Life Recovery Joy on the Job My family has a very strong work ethic that I inherited. However, I also had blind spots that affected my working life in wa…
How OA Changed My Life Recovery Applying the Traditions This year I will celebrate my twenty-first anniversary with my large corporate employer, a miracle I can only attribute to t…
Tools & Concepts Anonymity Benefits Wow! Anonymity is so important to OA, it’s part of the name of our organization. As Tradition Twelve states: “Anonymity is t…
Meetings Tools & Concepts Today, I Will Be There It suddenly dawned on me: the problem with the strength of our nearby meetings was me. I wasn’t sitting in a chair every mee…
Gratitude Recovery Extending Grace It’s funny sometimes how HP and the universe work to give me a sign. On Friday of this week, I went to a meeting and listene…
Meetings Tools & Concepts Intentionally Strong We can be intentional about strengthening our OA meetings. At your next group conscience meeting, try these conversation sta…
How OA Changed My Life Recovery Following Suggestions I’ve completed seven years of abstinence and recovery in OA, yet until recently had always been puzzled by this quotation fr…
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