A Wellspring of Hope
Newsletter of The Recovery Group
July 2001
Volume 3, Issue 7
| ser*en*dip*i*ty ~ (noun) First appeared 1754: the faculty or phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for. |
From Our Editor
Founders Corner
From Our Administrators
From the Loops: Spotlight of the Month
Tools of Recovery
The History of Recovery Meditations
Danny's Corner
From the Recovery Group Members
From the Literature
The Recovery Group IRC Meeting Schedule
AOL Meetings - A&R Forum
Overeaters Anonymous Contacts
Recovery Group Contacts
Serenity Prayer
Dear friends in recovery,
In this month's edition, TRG founder Mari shares her thoughts on Tradition
Six, and The Recovery Group's history of not aligning itself with any
outside interest, and of not asking for or accepting contributions. All
SERVICE positions are filled by volunteers. In that same line, Patt
writes about SERVICE on behalf of TRG administrators. Our loop spotlight
of the month is WTS, Working the Steps, a loop whose mission statement
states that the loop is for working the Twelve Steps within the group.
Lynne invites all of us to study the Twelve Steps with WTS (Working the
Steps) during July, August and September of 2001 - 12 Steps in 12 Weeks -
with Danny (Big Bird). In the Tools of Recovery, Lorraine writes about
the importance of SERVICE in recovery from compulsive eating (there's a
theme here!) We've also included a repeat of the history of recovery
meditations, in an effort to encourage all of you to perform SERVICE to
TRG by submitting an original meditation to the project.
This month in Danny's Corner, in his conversation with God, Danny talks
about "this OA thing." In the section dedicated to shares from Recovery
Group members, Sherry talks about staying in the moment, Lizzie writes
about hope in recovery, and Syl shares her Twelve Step share. In the
Literature section, you will find The Promises from the Big Book of
Alcoholics Anonymous as a constant reminder of what is possible, as well
as Step Seven from Reflections on the Twelve Steps of Recovery. This
month's edition ends with a list of on-line meetings, OA and TRG contacts,
and the Serenity Prayer.
If you have any comments on the newsletter, or have ideas about how to make Serendipity better, please send a letter to the editor to
SerendipityNewsletter@yahoogroups.com.
Peace, my dear friends.
Love in recovery,
Welcome to the July edition of Serendipity! If you enjoy the newsletter of the Recovery Group each month, please take the time to provide SERVICE to the group by sharing your experience, strength and hope with all of us -- submit a share for the next edition of the newsletter! This is your newsletter, and we need your submissions! All written contributions to Serendipity can be sent to
SerendipityNewsletter@yahoogroups.com.
Suzanne,
Editor
SERENDIPITY
| SERENDIPITY SUBSCRIPTIONS |
~ FOUNDERS CORNER ~
Dear Loopies,
We have never wanted to honor Traditions and Guidelines just because they
were there. We've never hidden behind them nor twisted them nor made them
say anything that made no sense. The Traditions and Guidelines are here
for a reason and each and every one of them are important to our community.
There is no Tradition/Guideline more important than Tradition Six.
Over the years, there have been opportunities to manipulate the Traditions
in order to achieve agendas ~ hidden agendas. Here we are ... an
organization full of compulsive eaters who want desperately to recover
from our illness. We are ripe for authors of books, manufacturers of
pills, hospital treatment centers, the latest diet plan and talk
therapists by the dozens. What these enterprises do is make money and
that it is okay. But it is not okay to do it in the Recovery Group. I
have been approached on occasion to link our community to those who tell
me they want to "help." But in reading the fine print, I find that in
just about every presentation to "help" is a product. A book to sell. A
new diet. A program to take off weight fast. A pill. A new hospital. A
new vitamin. A new surgery. Some have even wanted to know if they could
purchase our mailing lists.
The Sixth Tradition tells us that The Recovery Group should never endorse,
finance or lend its name to any related facility or outside enterprise,
lest problems of money, property and prestige divert us from our primary
purpose. Our primary purpose?? We are here for one reason ... and that
reason is to carry the message to the compulsive eater who suffers. We
have no other agenda nor will we. By carrying the message and living the
message we ourselves have hope of recovery. By watering down that
message, we self-destruct.
With enormous pride, we ask for no contributions nor accept them if
offered. The Recovery Group has no paid staff and everything we have ever
done here and ever will do here is done by volunteers. Next month, I will
write on the Seventh Tradition and how TRG implements that.
@-}-}-}-
TRADITION SIX
Love in recovery,
Mari
The Recovery Group
~ FROM OUR ADMINISTRATORS ~
Dear Members of The Recovery Group,
The Recovery Group has many Trusted Servants on our Loops and Meetings who are happy to serve you.
We want everyone to know that when you cannot find help concerning your recovery online that you can write to the TRGAdm@TheRecoveryGroup.org and we will try to work with you to find the help you need.
June marks the half way point of the year 2001 and we are still learning how best to serve each and everyone of our members on TRG.
Our 12th Step tells us to try and carry this message to compulsive eaters, and this is what The Recovery Group is all about. As each of you recover, we remind you of this step that is vital for your own recovery.
There are many service positions that still are in need of Trusted Servants, and we hope that those of you who have received recovery here will be willing to share it with others. If you feel that you are willing to share in this way, please notify the TRGAdm@TheRecoveryGroup.org and we will certainly find a position for you.
The JOY that comes from giving service and watching others recover and then see them begin to share with others is something you do not want to miss!
With love and great joy in service,
Patt
for the Trgadm Committee
~ LOOP SPOTLIGHT ~
WTS ~ Working the Steps
~ Mission Statement ~
The WTS ~ Working the Steps list is an e-mail discussion loop with the specific mission of working the Twelve Steps within the group. Each week a designated step leader provides the members with a provocative essay on a specific step and that is followed with questions and the step leader's personal experience, strength and hope on that step. In response to this, members answer the questions and share their personal ESH with one another.
WTS begins the year in January with Step One and finishes twelve weeks later with Step Twelve. A new leader begins on April 1st with another quarter in which the members are sent essays, questions and shares relative to the 12 Steps. This procedure continues all year.
We encourage all new members to observe loop protocol for a few days before sharing with the group and look forward to all participants eventually sharing on each step. We also encourage all WTS members to have a personal Step Sponsor. A good share meaningful to all is composed of (1) how we used to be; (2) what happened to us; and (3) how we are now. For those who have not worked the steps and who are new to program the step leader's questions will be invaluable as a guide to the understanding and completion of each step.
To subscribe, please go to the
loop's web page
Working the Steps Loop
Invites you to work 12 Steps in 12 Weeks
