Newcomers Tools & Concepts Nurturing is Our Nature One of my self-care activities is to spend time with the beautiful wildflowers that we are blessed to have in Tennessee. One…
Relapse Telephone Connection Questions I’m blessed with over twelve years of abstinence after a horrific fourteen-year relapse. What did I do differently? I became…
Diversity Breakup Note Overeating, you were in control of my life for a while. You ruined my life, took away my friends, isolated me, made me sick,…
Fellowship Tools & Concepts Be a Coach! The word “sponsorship” has connotations in the outside world that do not fit my understanding of being an OA sponsor. For ex…
Steps Much in Common I came into program in May of 1985. I didn’t think I could possibly fit in. I was finished with diets, but my weight and eat…
Newcomers Telephone Happy Dialing When I first came to OA, I was in an emotionally desperate condition. After decades of stuffing myself with food, I was high…
Recovery Partner in Recovery When I was coming out of relapse six months ago, I used a practice that had worked for me before: getting a Partner in Recov…
Traditions The Only Thing Left I am very grateful for OA’s Sixth Tradition. When I came into the rooms, I was angry and wanted to blame outside people, pla…
Steps Going Forward After I’d worked all Twelve Steps using the Big Book, then worked them again using The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of…
Service Now Serving Service is a favorite Tool of mine. Carrying the message to the compulsive overeater who still suffers is the purpose of our…
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