OA Service Strengthens Your Recovery First

Are you doing your share to keep your meetings strong, healthy and integrated with OA in Central Colorado?

Do you send someone to Intergroup to keep your meeting up to date with information that can impact your group?

Is your group conscience heard at the Intergroup, Region and World level?

Please keep your meetings up-to-date and informed by sending a representative from your meeting to Intergroup each month. A commitment of 90 minutes each month can mean a stronger meeting for you and a strong, healthy OA for all of us!

Too far to travel? We broadcast each meeting via Skype. Contact pubchair@oadenver.org for information on how to connect remotely and our CCI Chair at chair@oadenver.org for questions and info on becoming an Intergroup Representative for your meeting!

This year we covered 16 different sites with over 25 OA members volunteering their time.

Effort had gone into upgrading our display, including offering “welcoming chips,” a large sign inquiring “If food was a problem…”, OA information cards and many free Lifelines.

Overall it felt as if there was an increase in folks coming over to check out our information. Thanks to everyone for helping with our efforts to “carry the message.”

We need your service as a valuable member of the Professional Information / Public Outreach (PIPO) Committee. PIPO’s mission is to let the community and professionals know that 12 Step Recovery through Overeaters Anonymous is available in the Denver metro area. If you are interested in carrying the message to those who still suffer, please contact Steven at chair@oadenver.org and come to the next Intergroup meeting.

Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or OA as a whole.

In a perfect world, every meeting would represent OA’s guiding principles.

In actuality, many meetings have many more “active eaters” than those in recovery. These meetings can become a series of heavy, painful shares. There’s little “power of attraction” in this. Such meetings eventually suffer other problems like open service positions, too few sponsors, disorganization, and little support for a newcomer before or after the meeting.

There may only be one requirement to be in OA, but there are many suggestions. A Food Plan and a Sponsor are suggestions, but how many OA’s succeed without both?

What if people don’t take suggestions and the meeting suffers?

Well-intentioned members try to implement changes that are sometimes considered by others to be controversial”. This is the razor’s edge of autonomy. Is everyone’s happiness our goal, or is recovery?

This is why having a clear format with suggestions (not requirements) is advised, so that everyone can make a choice – to honor the group’s wishes, or find another meeting more to their liking. (Continuing to attend and sulking is only going to cause friction and disunity.)

If a format suggests that members attain a certain number of days of continuous abstinence before sharing, it is not a break of Tradition Four. If someone is cut off in mid-share because they don’t – that IS a break of tradition. Were the “sharer” to do this repeatedly, speaking to them privately about why they feel the need to “push back” against the collective wishes of the group might result in an important exchange that could help the group in the long run.

An active eater can enjoy the support of a group like this by saying (during announcements) that they are struggling and would like a chance to speak to someone after the meeting. This requires making a contribution and taking an action, both of which are good for their recovery.

The traditions say that a group conscience is supposed to reflect “what is best for the group” – yet groups often resort to personal preferences or squabbling when discussing changes. Conflict is not inherently bad. In fact, it is inevitable. Learning to deal with it is recovery.

If a group persists in staying “sick”, the traditions say that they will eventually die out. In reality, sometimes that happens, sometimes not. Certainly, it’s not the best outcome.

I have a long-time abstinent OA friend who says “freedom isn’t free” – Each seat at a meeting costs us plenty. And recovery costs even more. Some people view OA as a complete democracy, but a group’s insistence to do things a certain way sometimes comes at the expense of common sense, and the result is a less effective meeting.

That’s just the way it is. But when abstinent people ask intelligent questions about the welfare of OA as a whole, and what their meeting’s “OA responsibility” is in this regard, the principle of autonomy is being honored, whether clear resolutions are forthcoming or not.

The important thing is that meeting members communicate with each other on a regular basis.

Neil R., Baltimore, MD
Originally Printed in the newsletter of the Baltimore Area Intergroup

The Road to Recovery is Seldom Straight

I can do all things through my Higher Power, who strengthens me.

The road to success is not straight;

There is a curve called Failure,
a loop called Confusion,
speed bumps called Friends,
red lights called Enemies,
and caution lights called Family.

You will have flats called Jobs.

If you have a spare called Determination,
an engine called Perseverance,
insurance called Faith,
and a driver called Higher Power,

you will make it to a place called Success.

XO Bailey

Meeting Format & Speakers Needed

We are looking for guest speakers.  Please consider sharing your experience, hope and strength with newcomers to the OA fellowship.

We will be reading from the BIG BOOK, OA 12×12 and the OA ABSTINENCE books.

More Details

Contact Mary at keytara@msn.com with your questions or if you’d like to speak. Your service and support are appreciated.

Spread the Word

Please announce this at the other meetings you attend. Thanks!

Cathy B. took us through the steps as she had experienced them. She shared how she experiences the power of the “we” in working the steps, in the rooms of the fellowship, with her sponsor and with her higher power.

Cathy’s Share

Marian P. shared about how Unity Day came about. Sometime in the past, members were discussing, possibly arguing, matters having to do with OA. Someone thought that focusing on what we had in common, rather than our differences might be more beneficial to OA as a whole. Out of this Unity Day was created in 1986. She also enlightened us with the idea of “suspending judgment” for say, just one hour. She pointed out how this can be an effective tool to keep in mind, when attending a meeting or during a stressful situation. She found that as a result, it had a profound impact on her perspective, as well as what she took away from either.

Marian’s Share

Another member shared, staying with the theme of “we,” that if one takes the “I” out of “ill and replaces it with “we”, then “ill becomes “well.” Once again, we experienced the power of “unity” among ourselves and with others worldwide, as we held hands and united in prayer. Thanks to our speakers, our moderator, and all those who came and participated in this day of celebration.

A Global Expression of OA Unity

OA is a spiritual program of recovery

At 12:30 Mountain time, we joined in simultaneous prayer with members of Overeaters Anonymous worldwide, reciting “Rozanne’s Prayer.” It was shared more than once, that the power of the “unified prayer,” was physically felt by some of those present.

It was uplifting and encouraging to share the day with others, whose support strengthened the sense of “unity” both here in Denver and internationally. We never know how our “share” might touch the life and recovery of someone else.

OA’s unity depends on each one of us taking action. This can take the form of coming to meetings, not necessarily for yourself, but to give back….it means taking the time to “reach out” to newcomers, those that are “invisible” and others who could use a “connection.”…..it means calling folks you haven’t seen in a while…it means participating in and supporting OA, to make sure it is available to all those suffering with our disease…it is reaching out to one another….it is being here today.

Appreciation extends to all those that made this special day happen. Thank you!

Honored to be able to serve,

Amyk
Interim Twelfth Step Within Chair

PS – Please feel free to leave your comments and impressions of the event in the comments section that follows. Thank you!

Region 3/WSBC Representative

You’ll be one of 3 representatives of our Intergroup so you won’t have to go it alone.

Requirements

R3/WSBC rep position requires 1 year of abstinence and 1 year of service at the Intergroup level and travel 3 times a year: Region 3 has a weekend Spring & Fall Assembly each year.  WSBC has a yearly meeting the first week of May in Albuquerque, NM.

Applicants for the position will be required to attend the next Intergroup meeting to have their application voted upon.

A 12-Step Solution to Compulsive Eating

Tune in to Voice America Internet Radio for a 13-week Internet radio show to help listeners better understand compulsive eating and OA’s recovery program. This weekly, one-hour program was originally broadcast from October 17 through January 9, 2013. Programs have been archived and can be listened to and downloaded now. 

Sound Bites from Overeaters Anonymous will share first-hand the personal struggles of compulsive eaters, and the strength, hope and recovery they found using OA’s Twelve-Step program.

Listen for these topics:

• How and why a Twelve-Step program can work for compulsive eating.
• How OA’s Plan of Eating differs from a diet.
• The nine tools of Overeaters Anonymous.
• Keeping your eating sane during the holiday season.
• 100+ pounds to lose—is there hope for me in OA?
• The three levels of recovery from compulsive eating.
• What to expect at an OA meeting.
• In all our affairs—how recovery in OA can improve every aspect of your life.
• New Year’s resolutions—what can you do differently this time? And live call-in questions and answers.

Details:

Listeners can click, Sound Bites from Overeaters Anonymous on Voice America, to listen to archived episodes available 24/7.

Show Flyer

Download the Voice America OA show flyer and spread the word…

• share it with your OA meetings, and
• why not make copies and post it at the library, laundromats, doctors office and community bulletin boars?

When: Thursdays 6:30-7:30PM starting 1/17/2013
Meeting Location: First United Methodist Church – South Building (not the Chapel). Look for the double glass doors labeled, “Office and Education”, then downstairs and first door on your right.
Address: 1500 Ford Street, Golden, CO 80401 (see Map below)
Meeting Contact: Carrie S. 720-339-0346

Download the Flyer and please consider printing a few copies for meetings you attend. It’s great service and much appreciated. Print a few extra and leave them at the library, grocery store and doctor’s office if you want extra service karma!