Service Aspire More and Think As a returnee to OA after many years of “research,” I discovered the action plan Tool. I love it. Here’s an action plan I ma…
Service Situation-Specific Early in my recovery, I realized my yearning to be spontaneous kept me in bondage to my disease. I put things off until life…
Service Prep Time I recently attended an OA workshop about working an action plan. The leader shared many examples of how she uses this Tool i…
Service Forget Me Not When reflecting on our precious Tools of recovery, I always forget one (probably the one I need to concentrate on most). So …
Service Fitness Witness The Big Book says we get to keep what we have “so long as we keep in fit spiritual condition” (Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th ed.…
Service Available Tools I was working outdoors the other day and noticed several branches in my trees needed pruning. I went to my garage, selected …
Journal Questions For Discussion Physical recovery can expose new potential for emotional and spiritual recovery. In Reflecting Gratitude (p. 11), weight los…
Service Outreach Need This is not your typical story of inspiration, abstinence, and recovery. This is a story meant to foster awareness inside ou…
Higher Power Self-less Recovery I’ve been in and around OA for twenty-four years. In my mid-twenties, I weighed about 250 pounds (113 kg). When I was 30, I …
Traditions Tradition Four: Beneficial Differences Autonomy in OA is a really cool thing! I love how each meeting I go to is a bit different. My home group is a literature mee…
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