Relapse Family Practice In a dictionary, “family” can be defined in several ways: people occupying the same house, relatives, a tribe or clan, or a …
Abstinence Good IDEA International Day Experiencing Abstinence takes place the third Saturday of every November, i.e., right before the amateur o…
Higher Power Spirituality Cold Comfort Enthusiasm, the quality of being filled with my Higher Power’s presence, reminds me that I always have a choice. A recent de…
Higher Power Writing Meditation Each Tool of Recovery has its own joys. There is the fellowship of meetings, the comforting security of a food plan, and the…
Atheists & Agnostics Spirituality The Sunlight of the Spirit When I began to explore ideas of a Power greater than myself, I readily conceded that nature is majestic—I often found peace…
Higher Power Spirituality God on Board About three years after I became abstinent, I was driving to a meeting when I felt the presence of God in my car. Peacefulne…
Higher Power Spirituality A Big-Enough God When I was new to recovery, I would call my sponsor and complain about circumstances and how hard it was to stay abstinent. …
Higher Power Eager to Grow My experience of finding my Higher Power is not like finding buried treasure with a map; finding my Higher Power is much mor…
Higher Power Practice Prayer When I came into OA, I desperately needed to lose weight and gain sanity. All my life, I had made lists and plans and scheme…
Higher Power HP’s Handiwork “I have a whole lot of faith, but very few beliefs.” That is how I describe my relationship with my Higher Power. But this h…
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