Recovery Relationships Simple and Wonderful For me, some of the hardest people to be comfortable with are members of my family of origin. I’m the only one who’s in a Tw…
Recovery Relationships Real Love and Innocence Growing up in the home of an alcoholic father with my six other siblings seemed easy while I was in it. It wasn’t until year…
Recovery Relationships Loving Amends Why did I feel like eating? I was working on my Eighth and Ninth Steps—that should have been a clue right there—and I just c…
Recovery Relationships Writing Away Resentments I imagine many members of OA have issues with their parents. Here is how I solved my problem with my mother. My mom and I ne…
Service Tools & Concepts Many Ways to Serve There are so many ways to give service in OA and pay forward all we have so freely received. Not all forms of service requir…
Steps Empowering Discovery When I first came to OA thirty-three years ago, I was a bundle of resentments. I’m sure I resented almost everyone in my lif…
Higher Power Spirituality Recalculating the Route I believe that God’s “will” for us is only a direction, not one path for us. Because I have free will, I can choose a direct…
Steps Traditions The Big Picture Decisions Our group considers itself free to make its own decisions, guided by a Higher Power. We don’t have to have certain values or…
Literature Tools & Concepts Powerful Points I am thankful for the story “Transformational Awakening” and the thoughts shared about what a spiritual awakening has meant …
Recovery Working the Program Choosing A Discipline I work a pretty structured program and sometimes hear people talk about “rigidity” when they refer to things that I do gladl…
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