
~ DANNY'S CORNER ~
~ Abstinence ~
Dear God,
Thank you so much for the gift of this wonderful way of life. I am surrounded by
caring friends and family all ready, willing and able to point my nose in the
right direction, and then stand back to allow me to do the next right thing or not.
I have not eaten compulsively for the last twelve hours and nine minutes, but who's
counting. I'm once again amazed at how quickly abstinence is restored when my surrender
is complete and I stop trying to run the show of life, thanks.
There is not one thing in my life I am able to control except the thoughts that come
to me. They may be dismissed as improper, filed away for further consideration, or
acted on as righteous. As long as I do as You would have me do, all is well. Now
this takes some fun out of my day, however sleep is so much more peaceful, thanks.
This morning a friend or two will pick me up and ferry me to and from our Saturday
step meeting, then to lunch and home. We will be at my niece's house this afternoon
for a family gathering, and our mutual problem discussed. You be my mouth at this one,
allowing me to be as nice as is possible.
Meanwhile, give me the wisdom to know and power to do Your will today. Watch over my
family, friends, fellow loopies, those who still seek the easier, softer way, and the
folks I don't like.
AND WHY NOT......Danny

~ FROM THE RECOVERY GROUP MEMBERS ~
ONLINE RECOVERY
I am so thankful that I have found the program "online." I have been abstinent for
seventeen days - thanks to God and all of the people who have supported me through this
computer. There have been many many people whose support I have felt. I know that I
am not alone. I want to thank everyone who has reached out to me. I feel blessed.
Thank you,
Heart

I first joined oafriends and the wts step study group. I was fairly new to the
internet and someone gave me my computer and told me of the oafriends loop.
I was (and still sometimes am) an isolater and these loops helped me to get out of
isolation. They have also helped me in that I sponsor several people online and I
am grateful for that because I don't have any f2f sponsees at this time.
I began to feel as if I belonged again with this on-line recovery - I didn't feel
like such an outcast. One of the loops I am on that is spiritually based has
helped me grow in many ways. Since joining that loop I have become much closer
to God and have been letting go better because of it.
I also speak to some online members on the phone. I don't as yet get to too many
meetings so these loops help me in the fact they are like meetings - sometimes even
better I think.
Another loop called exercise and recovery has helped me a great deal. I have
started walking and that is a miracle for sure!!! When I don't want to walk I
get support from the loop cheering me on - it's great!
I thank God for each and every one of you and for each loop that I am on.
I also thank God for this computer.
Love, Kathy-0

I came on line for recovery several year ago. First through a local group, which
merged with a larger group and then with The Recovery Group. I am thankful for
all who work so hard to keep this group alive and well.
It is through this group that I found my abstinence. I have played with the tools,
did the three step waltz and wondered why I could not get abstinent and stay abstinent
for more than two or three days at a time. I went to meetings, had a sponsor,
gave service, read literature, etc. I worked and worked and wondered why God was against me.
On line I came into contact with many people who had the same complaint. We were the
first to forgive each other for the "slips" we had. We gave each other permission to
keep doing what we were doing and you know what? We were not making any changes in our lives.
Somewhere along the line someone shared about working the steps as a way to get abstinent
and stay abstinent. At Recovery we have Working The Steps. Four times each year a leader
guides us as we climb the steps. I thought I would give it a try. It was on line and
if I didn't like it I could drop out and who would know?
Our leader prodded and pulled and kept after us as we continued to work a step a week.
After week six or seven steps I noticed a big change in me. I was able to stay abstinent
for more than a few days at a time. And I was beginning to lose more weight. I was
beginning to do what the program told me to do. This is a 12 Step Program. I
needed to take the 12 steps to work the program. The tools were a great help.
Meetings kept me in close contact with other compulsive overeaters, but it was
here in Recovery that I became abstinent.
I belong to two loops here in Recovery. I hear more recovery in one day on line
than in the many meetings I attend. I have many friends here, people who suffer
the same illness I have. Together we can climb the 12 steps to recovery. Their
wisdom, recovery and laughter have pulled me out of myself and opened my eyes to
the wide world of Recovery.
Thank you for the opportunity to express my thankfulness for this great recovery venue.
Yours in ESH ~ JO

When I first started in OA several years ago, my life was unmanageable, so the first
face to face meeting I attended, I knew I had been led to the right place.
However, just a few months after that first meeting, my whole world changed.
My husband and I moved to the States from Canada: I left my home, job and career,
my family and friends, and to top it all off, when we 'landed' here, I found myself
being plagued by the isolation that comes not only from my disease, but also from
being a recovering agoraphobic who now found it difficult to leave the house again.
That's when HP led me to this Recovery Group. I couldn't go to face to face meetings
but, boy, here was this whole online site where I could attend meetings, get support,
acceptance and understanding -- and all without going out of the house. It was truly blessing!
At first, I tentatively joined the Newcomers Loop because that's exactly what I was.
>From there, I was encouraged to attend online meetings, and then as I learned more
about program, I ventured into the Isolation and Newcomers Loop -- where I still
actively participate as much as I can. It is also through the loops that I found
my sponsor -- who although he lives on the other side of the country -- I
still can keep in touch with him regularly. Every day I look forward to the
Daily Meditations, and monthly to Serendipity -- both of which, much like OA's
Lifeline magazine, seem to always know what's going on in my life that very day
and month! I cannot thank Mari and all the Trusted Servants and loopie friends
enough for being there when I needed them -- indeed STILL need them -- because
even though I can now venture out of the house; and even though I've been
abstinent for over a year (and have lost 80 or more pounds), I still find that
I turn regularly to my online supporters (who I call my own personal cheerleaders!
LOL!) -- and who I can reach anytime of the day just by sitting at my desk and
writing, sharing and reading!
Thank you all for being there -- and thanks for letting me share.
Luv, Lorraine

On a personal basis, as an American, living in a foreign country, the contact
I have with other O.A.ers in English is very important to me. As we all know,
O.A. is worldwide, so we do have O.A. meetings here, and I also have contact
with my O.A. friends here. But none of them speak my native language, and the
meetings are, of course, all in the language of this country. It doesn't matter,
of course, which country you're in, or in which language an O.A. meeting is
conducted...O.A. is always O.A.
I have no problem with the language here, as I have lived here thirty years and
am bi-lingual. In fact, my introduction to O.A. - my first knowledge of the Fellowship,
my first O.A. meeting - took place with me as the simultaneous translator for an
English-speaking Trustee who was visiting here, and I bless the day I agreed to do
that job as it changed the course of my entire life. But there are moments, as
anyone living abroad from his native land can testify, when you just need to
"hear" and "speak" your own native tongue. The Recovery Group gives me that possibility.
Shortly after I entered the world of "computersville" last year, a friend from my
American home-base O.A. group with whom I correspond sent me a letter telling me
how excited she was about finding meetings on line and about the Newcomers
recovery group. She sent me the general address for the recovery groups and
there I discovered an e-mail group for correspondence:
NewcomersAndRecovery@yahoogroups.com
For me, being part of this e-mail group is like having a meeting at my disposal
24 hours a day. It is not just "journaling" - which is in itself an important
part of recovery - but an open sharing on a daily basis, enabling me to express
myself without having to translate in my mind what I'm saying. It allows me the
spontaneity of my own language and the feeling of "living" - at least for the
moments when I'm on line - in my own culture. Even more important, it allows
me to "hear" others sharing in the "sound" of my native tongue while they
"speak" of things which are familiar to my own background.
Being a part of The Recovery Group is also important to me as it gives each of us
the opportunity to encourage others, and, when necessary, receive the encouragement
from others in a sort of on-going reciprocal Twelfth Step Within type of structure.
You don't have to wait for your weekly meeting when you need to share.
You don't have to look for the chance to help others as it's always there on
your screen any time of day or night. Unlike telephone calls, which are often
limited to certain time structures in consideration for others, Recovery ON-LINE
is there at our fingertips 24 hours a day - instant contact ready for all of us
whenever we need to share. Thank you for letting me share this with you today.
Love, MARJEE (O.A., Palermo, Italy)

My name is Mickie. I have been a member of OA for two years. I live too far
to go to a face to face meeting, so the online meetings are the most center to
my socially active life in recovery. I get to meet people who are just like
myself with common problems and learn how they helped themselves solve those
problems. I have been abstinent and in relapse and somewhere in
between. TRG online has kept me going, it can be treated just like any other
meeting. TRG online takes out the isolation of suffering alone. And one thing
about the online meeting, you can talk and share as much as you need.
May your journey be a safe one.
Mickie