Recovery Trust Fund Before OA, my life was a constant struggle. It was me against the world, and I couldn’t lower my defenses, or I’d be eaten alive. It was very stressful and tiring. Lack of trust was one of my biggest problems. I grew up in a family in which anything you said could be used against you. I craved trust and … Read More
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. My sponsor would suggest that I get a bigger God. It took me a while to really understand what she meant; I believed in God, but realized I wasn’t able to trust him. Through working the Steps, … Read More
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 hasn’t always been the case. When I first came to OA, I had to make my start from just a willingness to believe. I came to the place I am now by “acting as if.” My … Read More
Higher Power Spirituality Willing Release In the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous it says, “No man, we saw, could believe in God and defy Him, too. Belief meant reliance, not defiance” (p. 31). This is interesting because it clarifies the difference between understanding the concept of a higher power, and actually believing in a higher power. To truly believe is to accept … Read More
Service The Difference That Satisfies Sometimes it’s quite hard to see the difference between a plan of eating, which says what I’m going to eat and in what quantity, and a diet, which also says what I’m going to eat and in what quantity. For me, the difference is about purpose and how I feel about it. In the old days, the diets I went … Read More
Service Applying Anonymity I believe the most important Tool in program is anonymity. Using this Tool made me free to grow—and I seemed to change my opinion on any given subject once a week. At first I cried at every meeting. It was God’s way of shutting my mouth so my ears could open. I began to get a handle on my newfound … Read More
Atheists & Agnostics Having Faith When I feel empty, alone, uncertain and frightened, I need to act as if some force in the universe exists that will guide me. People search for certainty in many places and things outside of themselves, but if I trust that intuitive voice within, I know what is right for me. I get in touch with that voice at quiet … Read More
