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, but for outreach too. We ordered one print subscription for our group plus three additional subscriptions. We keep our three extra issues in a special bag. When a newcomer shows up for a first meeting, we … Read More
Share It Table and Field I was interested in the Lifeline article concerning kneeling while praying (“Prayer Positions,” October 2018). There is no way my knees will allow me to kneel for any reason. I start my day reading my OA literature, writing a thank-you letter to God, and praying while sitting at a table. In my younger days, I often sent my most fervent … Read More
Meetings Tools & Concepts OA Is For Me OA is for me—and it has been ever since a friend brought me to program in December 1981. People of all shapes and sizes told my story. I found a place where I belong. Despite sometimes feeling like I belong in a subset of OA, due to multiple allergies, afflictions, anxiety, and depression, I belong. I am here because I’m … Read More
Meetings Tools & Concepts Aptly Named I wanted to share how this magazine is truly a lifeline. I came into OA in July 2013, and I became abstinent in October 2013. A Sunday meeting used an issue of Lifeline magazine, and it hooked me. I borrowed the issue and brought it to my home group to share how great Lifeline is. They agreed. I wanted and needed … Read More
Fellowship Recovery IDEA Event Well-Worked Our International Day Experiencing Abstinence event was well attended by many in our recovering community in Milwaukee. We opened with a speaker, then did a writing activity. Perhaps you could write about this topic too: “What is the difference between dieting and abstinence?” Then we read a Lifeline article (“Outside and In”) about the difference between trying to be abstinent … Read More
Share It Waiting Room Bloom I always take a Lifeline to read in the doctor’s waiting room, then leave it for someone else. When I caught up on the April 2018 issue, I read a beautiful poem, “New Life Blooming.” Thank you for your service. Good luck and good life. — Muriel M., Fayetteville, Tennessee USA (more…) Read More
Tools & Concepts Writing Participate and Be Blessed When I entered the doors of OA, I weighed 162 pounds (73 kg) and stood five feet one inches tall (155 cm). I’d been struggling to drop pounds for several years after having some success with a commercial weight-loss program, but I’d plateaued and didn’t know how to move past it. I felt hopeless and powerless. So, Step One came … Read More
Literature Tools & Concepts A Way That Invites I just read a beautifully written story in the May/June 2018 issue: “No Stone Unturned.” This Lifeline article is one I will keep forever. The author’s words and quotes are expressed in a thoughtful way that invites me to be filled with peace and serenity. I have even copied the writer’s morning prayer and put it with my prayers that … Read More
Literature Tools & Concepts Full-Length Program I would like to comment on “No Stone Unturned” in the May/June 2018 issue of Lifeline. It begins on page 11 under the subheading “Conscious Contact and Relationships.” I’ve been receiving Lifeline magazine for a number of years and have to say that this article is the most profound I’ve ever read! It includes all aspects of the writer’s program … Read More
Share It Shared Struggle When I received my April 2018 Lifeline magazine and opened it at random, I read the beautiful poem New Life Blooming. It struck me so much that I decided to bring it to my OA meeting that afternoon. I read it to the other members, and as we shared our thoughts about it, all of us realized we experienced some of … Read More