A Wellspring of Hope
Newsletter of The Recovery Group


CELEBRATING 1995-2005 ~ THE FIRST DECADE OF THE RECOVERY GROUP

June 2005
Volume 7, Issue 6

Please feel free to pass Serendipity on to others who are working a Twelve Step program of recovery.


ser*en*dip*i*ty ~ (noun) First appeared 1754:
the faculty or phenomenon of finding
valuable or agreeable things not sought for.


Serendipity CONTACTS:
SerendipityNewsletter@yahoo.com
The Serendipity Archives
www.TheRecoveryGroup.org/serendipity/index.html




SERENITY, the color, 12-Step monthly magazine for all, is available to non-Recovery Group members by sending a blank email to:
Serenity-subscribe-request@lists.therecoveryGroup.org

SERENDIPITY, the Recovery Group Newsletter, is available only to members of The Recovery Group and is sent on the first of each month, year-round.

Both SERENITY and SERENDIPITY are sent monthly to all members of The Recovery Group.



THIS MONTH IN SERENDIPITY




~ FROM THE SERENDIPITY TEAM ~

Hooray for June!

It's bursting out all over! Children are home from school, the flowers are blooming, vacations are being planned and a feeling of rejuvenation is experienced. We hope you enjoy this issue of Serendipity as you read about your community's activities. In your mailbox, you will also find Serenity and hope you find many things of interest.

As most of you know, Serendipity, the newsletter, was becoming quite long and we decided to slit it in two parts. Serendipity, the newsletter, is just for members of the Recovery Group and will be filled with news about every aspect of The Recovery Group. The Coordinators and Administrators will let you know of important activities going on in their loops, Trusted Servants will be spotlighted, a Loop of the Month will be chosen, and we will continue to have the Big Book article and many more features of interest to Recovery Group Members.

Our second publication, Serenity, the magazine, is not restricted to just The Recovery Group members. It's for those everywhere who love the Twelve Steps. Serenity is filled with articles of interest to those working a Twelve-Step program, recovery stories of men and women around the world, abstinence tips, poetry, quotations and human interest stories from all over. Serenity is sent to all members of the Recovery Group in plain text and in color to a large subscription list. The theme for this month's Serenity is "trust."

If you'd like to contribute a story, article, news of your loop, a special writing you love, or even a 'Letter To The Editor', we would love to have it. Just send to either of these addresses:

Serenity_magazine
SerendipityNewsletter@yahoo.com

We hope you enjoy your newsletter and magazine.

In Loving Recovery,
    The Serendipity Team
     SerendipityNewsletter@yahoo.com





~ QUOTATIONS OF THE MONTH ~


"Do not trust all men, but trust men of worth; the former course is silly, the latter a mark of prudence."
~ Democritus (460 BC - 370 BC)

"Love all, trust a few. Do wrong to none." ~ William Shakespeare

"It is an equal failing to trust everybody, and to trust nobody." ~ English Proverb

"You can't shake hands with a clenched fist." ~ Indira Gandhi



~ FOUNDER'S CORNER ~
Trust


"You may be deceived if you trust too much; But you will live in torment if you do not trust enough."
     - Frank Crane

Dear Friends,

There is no greater gift than to have trust .. not only in people, but also in things. It is our nature to trust and I've spent most of my life doing that. As I have gotten older, I have had incidents in my life that someone I trusted with my whole heart betrayed me. As a result of this I am not now as trusting as I once was but have found a solution to that.

We have to find a solution ... because if we don't, we can carry the hurt and pain of a betrayal for a life- time and doing that only hurts us. This is not to say that we will or should have the same relationship with that untrustworthy person, it is just to say that we must accept that it is a character flaw in them. And if we continue to trust people who should not be trusted, it is a flaw in us.

My solution to the disappointment of trusting someone too much and being damaged by that trust is acceptance. I believe a trust betrayed, a commitment not followed through or a vow broken, needs immediate attention and action. We must not sweep that act under a rug and it is important that we make sure that we have all the information from that person directly; and that the information is factually clear in our mind and not as a result of our emotions. If someone turns out not to be trustworthy, we don't have to maintain a toxic relationship with them .... but we must accept that for whatever reason, that person is at a different stage in their life than we ... and they must follow their own path.

"Acceptance is the answer to all my problems today. When I am disturbed, it is because I find some person, place, thing or situation - some fact of my life unacceptable to me and I can find no serenity until I accept that person, place, thing or situation as being exactly the way it is supposed to be at this moment. Nothing .... absolutely nothing, happens in God's world by mistake." BB ~ P. 448

Happy June, Loopbuds.

@-}-}-}------
Mari



~ RECOVERY MEDITATION ~
Trust



"Come to the edge, he said.
They said, 'We are afraid.'
Come to the edge, he said.
They came. He pushed them.
...and they flew."
     ~Guillaume Apollinaire

Whenever things look bleak, I remember how dark and dismal my life was before my Higher Power led me to this Twelve Step program. Before, I was afraid to reach for recovery; I was afraid to trust; I was afraid to come to the edge. But slowly I inched my way over to that edge, and my Higher Power gave me a gentle nudge. I was flying! I wasn't chained by my disease any more. I wasn't trapped in the darkness; I'd come into the light. That day I received a gift from my Higher Power ... the gift of trusting.

One day at a time ...
I come to the edge and trust my Higher Power to give me wings to fly.

~ Jeff R.



~ LETTERS TO SERENDIPITY ~



To submit your comments or letters to the editor, simply send an email to:
SerendipityNewsletter@yahoo.com

All comments and suggestions are welcome.

To: Serendipity,

What is a Trusted Servant?

**A Trusted Servant is someone who volunteers their time, skills and energy to The Recovery Group on behalf of their fellow COEs. Trusted Servants are similar to officers of an organization and there are many different services performed by Trusted Servants in The Recovery Group.

To: Serendipity,

I see strange words like ESH and ODAT when I go to the web on recovery.
What do they mean?
**ESH means Experience, Strength and Hope. It's what we share with one another daily on the Recovery Loops.

ODAT means One Day At A Time. We use this term when we refer to the Twelve Step program of recovery we work.

~ TRG ADM on "ALLRECOVERY", the Super List~

Dodee and Nancy are the Recovery Administrators who work daily with the Division Heads and Mari to make sure the Recovery Group runs smoothly. If you ever need to find the answer to just about any question you have regarding our support groups, meetings or services, don't hesitate to write Dodee and Nancy at:
TRGAdm@TheRecoveryGroup.org.

Here is an article they would like to pass on to you about ALLRECOVERY, our new Master Mailing List.

When we were using Yahoo Groups as our email network, each member of each loop got a copy of the Daily Meditations. If you belonged to six loops, you got six copies of the Meditations. You also got six copies of any administrative mails that went out.

Our new home with L-Soft gave us a new way to manage the Daily Meditations and administrative notices. The mail address is called ALLRECOVERY, but it is not really a loop that you can subscribe to or unsubscribe from. It is made up of all the members of every loop. So, if you belong to six loops, you now only get one copy of the mailings.

So look in your mailbox for the return address ALLRECOVERY. If you don't want to read the Daily Meditations or administrative notices, you may delete them. But it is impossible to unsubscribe from that list because it isn't really a subscription list as most of our others are.

Personally, I'm grateful for this feature of L-Soft. It has really simplified the task of sending things out to all of you. There is also much less deleting for our members.

Submitted by:
Dodee
TRG Administrator

http://www.TheRecoveryGroup.org
Contact: TRGAdm@TheRecoveryGroup.org



~ LOOP SPOTLIGHT OF THE MONTH ~
THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD



Every once in a while, compulsive eaters want to hang loose. Working a Twelve Step recovery program takes diligence, consistence and lots of action. The Recovery Group has resources to accommodate everything one needs to work a good program. Many times, however, there is a need to share without feeling any restrictions whatsoever, to not worry if you're saying the "right thing," and not wonder if you should mention sex, food or Richard Simmons. TRG has such a loop; it's called THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD.

The Yellow Brick Road has no Coordinator or Trusted Servants. It's watched over by Athena, the Discovery Division Chairperson and the members can share with one another about anything they want or need to share about. Sometimes it's quiet. Other times there's a topic. But it is always casual and there for those who need it.

Subscription information:

Visit our website located at:
http://www.TheRecoveryGroup.org/discovery/yellowbrickroad/index.html

To join The Yellow Brick Road, send a blank email to:
TheYellowBrickRoad-subscribe-request@lists.therecoverygroup.org


~ THE RECOVERY GROUP ~
ADMINISTRATIVE HIGHLIGHTS

~ ODAT LOOPS DIVISION ~

ODAT SPECIAL FOCUS SUPPORT GROUPS

The ODAT Group loops are Twelve Step support groups for compulsive eaters and part of the Recovery Group community. We are dedicated to serving men and women who have eating disorders and who want to work a program with others. In addition to the very serious disease of compulsive eating, each ODAT Loop has a second focus. Many members find this second focus such as AA, Abuse, Compulsive Spending, Diabetes, etc. important to their recovery program. Those who want a religious focus can find it here. Homebound men and women can find friendship as well as Twelve Step recovery help.

The only requirement to join our support community is to have a desire to recover from an eating disorder. By participating in our loops and working an honest recovery program, we will reach our goals one day at a time.

Donna
Chairperson, The ODAT Division
 ODATAdm@lists.therecoverygroup.org
www.theRecoveryGroup.org/odat/

~ RECOVERY LOOPS DIVISION ~

The Recovery Loops is one of three divisions of support groups under the umbrella of The Recovery Group. Included in these loops are two study groups ~ WTS and the Big Book Study. Most of the other loops in this division are general sharing loops in which the members share their experience, strength and hope with one another.

Contact: KrisWild@aol.com
Recovery Group Loops Division Chair

More details about these support groups can be found at:
www.theRecoveryGroup.org/trg.html
Contact: TRGAdm@lists.TheRecoveryGroup.org

~ DISCOVERY LOOPS DIVISION ~

The Discovery Loops are part of the ODAT Group's loops for men and women who have eating disorders and are working a program of recovery. A variety of support loops abound in Recovery. We find that eating disorders don't restrict themselves when it comes to whom they burden, even children suffer from the disorder. Two of the Discovery loops are for children and the parents of children who are struggling. We have a kitchen here. And a wonderful Yellow Brick Road Loop. And even a loop for those who are exercisers and want to be around others who share their enthusiasm for this.

Come join us at The Abstinent Kitchen, Kids and Recovery, COKids, Exercise, Kitchen Archives and The Yellow Brick Road.

Contact: DiscoveryAdm@yahoo.com

http://www.theRecoveryGroup.org/discovery/index.html
Contact: DiscoveryAdm@lists.TheRecoveryGroup.org

~ THE RECOVERY OA ONLINE MEETINGS ~

On-Line Meeting Division

Meetings Around the World ~ Around the Clock

In just one hour of meeting time, we get to...

  • remember things we have forgotten
  • listen to others
  • give hugs
  • welcome newcomers
  • learn something new
  • commit to recovery
  • laugh with old friends
  • have a meaningful discussion
  • work the steps
  • share prayers and meditations
  • be part of a group
  • meet new friends
  • give service
  • work our program
  • understand gratitude and humility
  • strengthen our resolve
  • learn to love ourselves
  • understand our disease
  • embrace the loving fellowship
  • write down our thoughts and feelings
Our meetings are not just meetings...they are our lifeline in recovery!!

To receive our weekly meeting schedule, send a blank email to:
 oatrgmeetingschedule-subscribe-request@lists.therecoverygroup.org

In loving service,

Terri, Barry and Audrey
TRG Meeting Division Co-Chairpersons
Enquiries to: MtgAdm@lists.TheRecoveryGroup.org
www.TheRecoveryGroup.org/meetings/index.html



~ TRG SPONSOR PROGRAM ~

Sponsorship ~ Trust

One key element in the 12 step program of recovery is learning to trust. For some of us, asking someone to sponsor us is our first act of trust. The relationship between a sponsor and a sponsee is an important step towards growing in trust, and is essential to recovery.

If you are seeking a sponsor, listen to the shares of others in your loops and meetings. You may find someone who has what you are seeking, someone who you feel you could trust to walk with you on the journey of the steps of recovery.

If you are ready to be a sponsor, there is no time like the present. You can be a person who is available, ready to be trusted in sharing recovery with those who are seeking it.

If we can be of help to you in your sponsor/sponsee connection, please write to us at the "Contact" email address, below.

With blessings of Love and much JOY,
       Patt and Cate
       TRG Sponsor Coordinators

www.TheRecoveryGroup.org/sponsors.html
Contact: Sponsors@TheRecoveryGroup.org



~ THE RECOVERY TELEPHONE ANGELS ~

     (\0/) (\0/) (\0/)
     / \   / \   / \

BE AN ANGEL ~ Become A Telephone Angel Today!

One of the resources offered to members of The Recovery Group is the opportunity to have access to the telephone numbers of our Telephone Angels. If you would like to become a Telephone Angel and give service in this way, please contact us and include the following:

  • Your name
  • Email address
  • What State you live in (this way people can find someone closer to them)
  • Your phone number ~ area code and number
  • Your time zone (like Eastern Standard)
  • Best times to call?
  • And should folks leave a message or not?
Submitted by January K.
Telephone Angel Coordinator

The Recovery Telephone Angels Program
 TRGAdm@TheRecoveryGroup.org. Please put "Attention: Telephone Angels" on the subject line.



~ TRG TRUSTED SERVANT OF THE MONTH ~



She came here a long time ago. As most people do, she joined one of our support groups and began sharing. We noticed a specialness about her shares. Not only were they about the significance of how our disease had affected her ... but she was able to express her thoughts and feelings in such a way that others understood exactly what she was talking about. They identified with her. To this day, she has continued writing her experience, strength and hope in every venue we have.

Our Trusted Servant of the Month for June is Donna. She is the epitome of the old adage that when you need help, look for a busy person. We don't ever remember her saying no. Donna has unquestionable loyalty and is a friend to all. No matter how small the problem of a member is, she gives it as much attention as if it were major. Now the Chairman of the ODAT Loops Division, Donna has given service in just about every Trusted Servant position there is. In addition, she is a teacher, a mother, a wife, a writer and is raising her grandson, left in her care by her daughter, who died at age 19 from leukemia.

Congratulations, Donna, . . . . our Trusted Servant of the Month

To nominate a TRG Trusted Servant to spotlight, please send an email to:
serendipitynewsletter@yahoo.com.



~ GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS ~



~ WTS - Third Quarter Study Begins~

WTS ~ Working the Steps will be the Third Quarter Step Study on July 1st. A Step Leader takes the group through the 12 Steps in 12 Weeks. You may read more about the WTS Step Study at:
www.TheRecoveryGroup.org/WTS/index.html.

To join WTS, please send a blank email to:
WTS-subscribe-request@lists.TheRecoveryGroup.org

TO SUBMIT AN ANNOUNCEMENT:
To submit an article to Serendipity Newsletter, simply send an email to:
serendipitynewsletter@yahoo.com



~ FROM THE TWELVE-STEP LITERATURE ~




~~ FROM THE BIG BOOK ~~

"Yes, there is a substitute and it is vastly more than that. It is a fellowship in Alcoholics Anonymous/Overeaters Anonymous. There you will find release from care, boredom and worry. Your imagination will be fired. Life will mean something at last. The most satisfactory years of your existence lie ahead. Thus we find the fellowship, and so will you."

c. 2001, Alcoholics Anonymous, page 152



MY SHARE...

TRUST

After many years of searching for a solution to my overeating and diet problems, I was led, I'm sure, by my Higher Power/God to Overeaters Anonymous. There I learned to TRUST again. It was/is a fellowship where I found release from care, boredom, and worry! I knew I could trust these members who were all walking in my moccasins and who knew exactly what I was talking about during all my searches. I also found Trust again in a new GOMU, (God of my understanding), after many years of being without a Higher Power. Because of the religion in which I grew up, I was lost in all ways!

Here in these rooms I found my loving HP again as well as hundreds of Cyberfriends all over the world who are there for me and for others as we walk this treacherous and daily path!

I can sincerely promise anyone that they will find the serenity and peacefulness that I found if they will just study the Big Book, work the 12 Steps, and use the tools we are provided with.

Many Blessings on your Path,
    Myrlene (Big Book and Recovery Group)



~ THE SERENITY PRAYER ~

God, grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.



~ OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS CONTACTS ~

Overeaters Anonymous
World Service Office (WSO)
PO Box 44020
Rio Rancho, NM 87124 USA

Telephone 505-891-2664
Fax: 505-891-4320
 http://www.overeatersanonymous.org/index.html
E-Mail Address ~ info@overeatersanonymous.org

"I put my hand in yours ...
and together we can do what we could never do alone."
~ Rozanne, OA CoFounder ~



~ RECOVERY MEDITATIONS ~

~ Visit our beautiful scene for June~
(http://www.therecoverygroup.org/meditations/june.html)

To receive the daily meditations by email, send a blank email to:
recoverymeditations-subscribe-request@lists.therecoverygroup.org



~ THE RECOVERY GROUP CONTACTS ~

Serendipity Team ~ SerendipityNewsletter@yahoo.com
Subscriptions ~ SerendipityNewsletter-subscribe-request@lists.therecoverygroup.org
Recovery Group Administrators ~ TRGAdm@lists.TheRecoveryGroup.org
ODAT Administrators ~ ODATAdm@lists.therecoverygroup.org
Sponsor Coordinators ~ TRGSponsorsAdm@lists.TheRecoveryGroup.org
Recovery OA Online Meetings Coordinators ~ MtgAdm@lists.TheRecoveryGroup.org
Technical Support ~ RecoveryTech@mail.com
Recovery Group Founder ~ Mari@TheRecoveryGroup.org




"In the deepest part of a compulsive eater's soul . . .
Is the realization that recovery begins when we find one another."

Disclaimer


The Recovery Group and our newsletter has as its mission and purpose that of carrying the message of recovery to those who suffer from the disease of compulsive eating. We are an anonymous organization and follow the 12 Steps and 12 Traditions of Overeaters Anonymous; however, we are not affiliated with that group. Your articles, announcements and information are welcome. All opinions in this newsletter represent only the opinions of the writers and not necessarily that of The Recovery Group or OA, Inc.

The Trusted Servants of Recovery

Volume 7 Issue 6 © Copyright 2005 THE RECOVERY GROUP All rights reserved.