A Wellspring of Hope
Newsletter of The Recovery Group
November 2003
Volume 5, Issue 11
ser*en*dip*i*ty ~ (noun) First appeared 1754:
the faculty or phenomenon of finding
valuable or agreeable things not sought for.
PLEASE SEND LETTERS TO THE EDITOR TO:
SerendipityNewsletter@yahoo.com
with a Subject of 'Letter to the Editor'
From Our Editor
Founder's Corner
From the TRG Administration
From Our ODAT Committee
From The Recovery Loops Coordinator
From Our TRG Sponsor Program
Letters to the Editor
Announcements ~ German and Recovery
Kids' Corner
For Our Teens
November Loop Spotlights:
The Recovery Loop
Recovery in Israel
Recovery Meditations ~ One Day at a Time
Recovery Tech
From The Recovery Group Members
Recovery Writers' Series
From the Literature
Recovery Meditations Calendar
The Recovery Group Online Meetings
Overeaters Anonymous Contacts
Recovery Group Contacts
Serenity Prayer
Dear Serendipity Readers,
Dear Serendipity Friends ~
The administration of the Recovery Group went through several changes
during the past month and we believe that it was a move that will serve
us better in the future. We have made five divisions in our community
with a Coordinator for each division. The divisions are:
The ODAT/Discovery Loops
Hi, Everyone!
Dear Friends,
ANNOUNCING:
Please see the following web sites for information concerning loops
which exist to help kids with eating problems.
Sophy Burnham once said "Angels are full of warmth and joy, and they
always say the same thing - don't be afraid." Fear ... as far back as
I can remember I was afraid of everything. I was so very scared when
I was hurt sexually over and over from 4 years old; afraid people
would find out and think it was my fault. He said 'they' would believe
him and not me. Well, I believed him, anyway. In the end, he got found
out, and they believed me at last.
THE RECOVERY LOOP
RECOVERY MEDITATIONS ONE DAY AT A TIME
~ FROM OUR EDITOR ~
It is with pleasure that I bring you the November issue of Serendipity
Newsletter, the newsletter of The Recovery Group. It is full of much
wisdom and information concerning many different facets of The
Recovery Group, facets that make this such a wonderful place to be as
we travel the road of recovery together.
For those of us in the United States, November is the month during
which our Thanksgiving holiday falls. It is a time for us to
contemplate and express our feelings of thanksgiving for what has been
our fortune to receive in life. I, for one, along with being thankful
for my family, my parents (who just celebrated 60 years of married life
together), my love for music, and many other things, am also so very
grateful for the gift of OA and The Recovery Group in my life. This
gift of recovery came my way over three years ago, and even though I am
still working the steps, I know that I have been blessed, and am
thankful for it. It is my hope that you, fellow traveler, also feel
thankful for your recovery, no matter what stage you may be in.
I hope you enjoy this issue of Serendipity. Perhaps you will learn
about, and possibly join, a loop about which you never knew. Or,
perhaps you will read about an area of service which interests you,
and you will volunteer to give back to TRG what some of what has
already been given you. It is my simple hope that there will be some
portion of this issue that will "speak" to you, and inspire some aspect
of your recovery.
Marty
Editor, SERENDIPITY
Newsletter of The Recovery Group
FOUNDER'S CORNER ~ A SPECIAL SEASON
The eating/spending season is almost here. November and December are
the two months of the year when compulsive people eat food they do not
need and spend money they do not have. I can remember the first
Thanksgiving I was abstinent. I had prepared the usual obscene dinner
and I could tell that the food was calling me. My abstinence was more
important than anything and I knew that things were going to be very
slippery for me and I did something I'd never done before. I prepared
my plate with a moderate amount of wonderful food, put a piece of
plastic wrap around it ... and hid it in the microwave. I then served
the meal, fixed a salad and a hot cup of coffee, and enjoyed
Thanksgiving with my family. I ate my meal later, away from the
kitchen and made it through the day with flying colors.
And then hardly before Thanksgiving was over, the catalogs started
coming in which screamed out "Buy me, Buy me" and I decided to stay
home on the busiest shopping day of the year ~ the day after
Thanksgiving.
We have two support groups set up that may be of great interest to
those of you who tend to overeat and overspend during the holidays:
2003 Abstinence and Spending ODAT. Check them out on our website.
Happy November,
@-}-}-}------
Love in recovery,
Mari
~ FROM OUR TRG ADMINISTRATORS ~
These divisions will be coordinated by TRGAdm and each will have a
Coordinator and assistants to take care of the specific needs of each
division.
If you have an interest in taking on a big job, please contact us at
TRGAdm@TheRecoveryGroup.org.
TRGADM administrators
~ FROM OUR ODAT ADMINISTRATION ~
Hi, everyone!
A couple of weeks ago, due to personal family reasons, I sadly had to
step down as Chairperson of the ODAT Committee. Although no longer
Chair, I am still very much an Administrator for The ODAT loops,
answering mail, queries, and helping to keep the loops safe and as
free as possible from spam and inappropriate mailings, and I have said
I will assist so that there is someone to share the load.
It has been wonderful to see everyone pull together and work together
to help provide as many compulsive eaters a chance to practice their
program within the Recovery Loops. It has been a joy to see one of the
ODAT new loops, DepressionODAT thrive and become popular over the last
few weeks. Well done to Sharon, the loop Coordinator, and her team of
fine Trusted Servants.
All in all, I believe we have a fine team all round, and we truly do
practice what we say when we say we will extend our hand to the
compulsive eater still suffering. You truly are a wonderful bunch of
people and it’s an honour to serve with you and be among you.
Love, and in fellowship,
Marl
Administrator, ODAT Committee
http://www.TheRecoveryGroup.org/odat/index.html
First, I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Dodee and I am a
compulsive eater. I'm also the Coordinator for the Recovery Loops.
This is a very new position for me and I'm still learning the ropes.
The Recovery Loops are "general sharing" loops, as opposed to the
"special interest" loops of ODAT. They include OA loops in Italian,
German and French. There are loops for Newcomers, OA Friends and those
recovering from bulimia and anorexia. There are loops for people
studying the Big Book (Alcoholics Anonymous), for those who are
attending 90 meetings in 90 days and for those who are Working the
Steps.
Working the Steps is a little different from the others in that the
only posts to go to the loop are ones on working the steps. In fact,
a new step study began about four weeks ago. If you'd like to work
the steps with online friends, you may join by visiting WTS ~ Working
The Steps [http://recovery.hiwaay.net/wts/index.html].
It's been fun to branch out a little in TRG and meet more people who
are living the Steps and Traditions to the best of their ability.
There are also service positions available on many of the Recovery
Loops. Is your HP giving you a little nudge about service? If so,
there are small jobs for you to try to get your feet wet. Just let us
know you are thinking about it, and we will help you find a fit.
One day at a time since April (30th) of '87,
Dodee
Coordinator of Recovery Loops
RecoveryLoopsAdm@lists.TheRecoveryGroup.org
The moment we begin recovery from our devastating disease, compulsive
overeating, we are told that we never have to be alone again. This is
true. We not only have a wonderful new community that we belong to,
but we also get to choose someone, a sponsor, to guide us through the
12 Step healing process. We learn a whole new way of thinking and
be-ing in the world.
The Recovery Group has a sponsor program that is nothing short of
superb! We have dedicated people who are very aware that they cannot
keep what they have unless they give it away, knowing, that as they
give it away, it INCREASES. A paradox! A miracle! Sponsoring is a
blessing for all involved.
To find out about the Recovery Sponsor Program go to:
http://recovery.hiwaay.net/sponsors.html.
If you wish to become a Recovery Sponsor please write to:
Sponsors@TheRecoveryGroup.org.
With love and great Joy in service,
Dreena, Sponsor Coordinator
The Recovery Group Sponsor Program Trusted Servants
www.TheRecoveryGroup.org
SUBMITTING LETTERS
Letters to the Editor are encouraged and welcomed.
Please send your letter to
SerendipityNewsletter@yahoo.com.
Please put 'Letter to the Editor' in the subject line.
GERMAN AND RECOVERY
If you speak German, or know of a compulsive eater who speaks German,
please read the following from the Coordinator of our German and
Recovery Loop.
To join this loop, please send a blank email to:
GermanAndRecovery-subscribe-request@lists.therecoverygroup.org.
You may also visit our beautiful German website at:
http://recovery.hiwaay.net/special/german.html.
If you would like more information, please contact:
Dietrich12000@yahoo.com.
In loving service to all ~
German and Recovery Trusted Servants
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
Hallo,
Ich bin die Koordinatorin von GermanAndRecovery, und ich würde mich
freuen, Dich in unserer Gruppe zu begrüßen - oder, wenn Du bereits ein
Mitglied dort bist, möchte ich Dich einladen, Dich mehr einzubringen.
Diese Gruppe ist speziell für Dich, und wir teilen unsere Erfahrung,
Kraft und Hoffnung auf deutsch.
Ich stamme aus einer deutschen Familie; und ich weiß, daß ich mit einer
Verbindung zwischen Essen und der Liebe, die meine Familie für mich
hatte, aufgewachsen bin. Daher schien es der beste Weg für sie zu sein,
ihre Liebe zu mir auszudrücken, indem sie mir meine Lieblingsessen
fütterten. Wenn ich die Nahrung zurückwies, dachte ich, ich weise auch
sie zurück. Selbstverständlich durchschaue ich das jetzt, und schon
die Jahre über spürte ich es.
Vielleicht wurde das Essen für Dich erst in späteren Jahren ein Problem;
vielleicht hattest oder hast Du andere Probleme mit Essen. Wenn dies
der Fall ist, komm und tritt unserer Gruppe bei!
In Freundschaft,
Marlene
The Recovery Group
http://www.TheRecoveryGroup.org
http://recovery.hiwaay.net/special/german.html
GermanAndRecovery-subscribe-request@lists.therecoverygroup.org, (just send
a blank email)
Abonnieren:
GermanAndRecovery-subscribe@yahoogroups.de.
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
Translated, this is:
Hi,
I am the Coordinator of German and Recovery and I would love to welcome
you to our loop, or, if you are already a member, to participate more.
This loop is especially for you and we participate in the German
language.
Coming from a German family I know I have grown up with a connection
between Food and the love my family has for me; it seems to be the
best way they can express that love, is to feed me my favourite foods.
If I reject the food, I get the impression they feel I am rejecting
them. Of course I understand this, as I have felt this too sometimes
over the years.
Maybe this is something that became a problem for you in later years.
Maybe you had, or have, other problems with food. If that is the case,
please do join us, by sending a blank email to:
GermanAndRecovery-subscribe-request@lists.therecoverygroup.org.
In fellowship,
Marlene
A Trusted Servant of TRG
The Recovery Group
http://www.TheRecoveryGroup.org,
http://recovery.hiwaay.net/special/german.html
is a loop that offers help with eating disorders; a place where kids
are welcomed with open arms and listened to by other kids with the
same sort of problems. What these kids cannot do alone, they _can_
do together.
To find out more, please visit:
http://recovery.hiwaay.net/discovery/kids/index.html
You can also find Kids and Discovery at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/KidsAndDiscovery/. You can join from
these pages, too!
is a loop for parents who have children with eating problems.
It is a place for them to share and discuss the problems their
children are experiencing. For more information, please see:
http://recovery.hiwaay.net/cokids/index.html.
Then I was afraid to go to school. I couldn't speak much English and
it's hard to make friends when you are scared and can't speak English.
At least when I was in Germany people understood me and I could be
free. But, I learned to speak English and things got much better.
I was seriously afraid of senior school; I hated it. I had just a
couple of friends and if they weren't there, I would hang out in the
bathrooms there, or stay on the edge of the playground. But, I got
older, and began to have a bit more confidence, and things got better.
Over and over in my life I have been so scared; of boys, of going out,
of staying in ... all sorts of strange things no normal person would
be fearful of.
Then I started working hard on my program, and I found I wasn't afraid.
I had a Higher Power (HP) now, and I began to feel warm inside. I
thought of all of you, and I felt really good about myself. If I'm
afraid now it's because I didn't take a chance today on being confident
that my HP will look after me today, no matter how bad things get.
So, tonight I remember: if I feel afraid, all I have to do is close my
eyes a moment and picture my HP wrapping me in wings of light and
holding me close, keeping me safe.
dietrich12000@yahoo.com.
Love,
Marl
Coordinator
TeensODAT
*Editor's note: For information, please see:
http://recovery.hiwaay.net/special/teens.html.
To join TeensODAT, send a blank email to:
TeensODAT-subscribe-request@lists.therecoverygroup.org
~ NOVEMBER LOOP SPOTLIGHTS ~
One of the very first support loops in the Recovery Group was the
Recovery Loop. WTS had already been started and Step Studies were
available. Journey to Recovery began soon after that, and it became a
melting pot for compulsive eaters all over the world to talk about just
about anything. There was a need for a support group that resembled,
in every way possible, a face-to-face OA meeting. And so, the Recovery
Loop was created.
Members join the Recovery Loop to work a complete program which will
include face-to-face meetings if possible, a sponsor, a plan of eating,
working the Steps and lots of good recovery literature. Each day
members open up their hearts to each other and share their experience,
strength and hope about the disease of compulsive eating they share
with one another. Realizing that emotional and spiritual recovery is
as important as the physical, Recovery Loop members strive to reach
their goals in all three.
More about the mission of the Recovery Loop can be found on its website:
http://TheRecoveryGroup.org/recovery/index.html
To join The Recovery Loop, please send an email to:
Listserv@maelstrom.stjohns.edu
(No subject is necessary)
Body of email: Subscribe Recovery FirstName LastInitial
The Recovery In Israel Loop is a Twelve Step Special Focus Discussion
Loop where compulsive eaters living in Israel can share their experience,
strength and hope. We are part of the Recovery Group Community and
welcome you with open arms. Our mission is to provide a safe and
peaceful place where you can share your experience, strength and hope
with one another. Most of our members are also members of Overeaters
Anonymous and, although we are not officially affiliated with that
organization, we are a twelve-step loop.
Our group has a very special mission and purpose. We provide a place
to work our own recovery program and also to carry that message to
others. We are here together to build one another up ... to accept each
of us as we are ... to support each other ... and not to judge one
another. We offer you safety and serenity.
Our loop is a place where 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, you will have
a safe haven where you can interact with others who are suffering. Our
loop does not focus only on our physical problems; we focus on our
emotional and our spiritual needs as well. Our recovery home is a place
where we, who live in Israel, hope you can experience growth spiritually,
emotionally and physically.
To read more, please visit:
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/RecoveryInIsrael/,
or
http://recovery.hiwaay.net/special/israel.html.
To join Recovery In Israel, please send a blank email to:
RecoveryInIsrael-subscribe-request@lists.therecoverygroup.org.
One of the most special projects ever undertaken by the Recovery Group
is the Recovery Meditations project. Realizing the importance of
starting the day with an inspirational message, the members of the
Recovery Group were invited to contribute an original meditation.
What we received were many beautiful and original pieces and the project
will remain ongoing until we have received 365 of them. We currently have over
200. When we reach 365, we would like to have them published along with a
calendar and, perhaps, an audio tape.
Recovery Meditations are distributed each morning to all members of the
Recovery Group and to a subscription list of almost a thousand
individual members. In addition, each meditation has its own web page
and we are very proud of each of these little vignettes.
All the meditations are linked to:
http://www.TheRecoveryGroup.org/meditations/index.html.
We also have a Recovery Meditations calendar and a beautiful photograph
or painting accompanies the meditations for that month. For example,
November has an awesome photo of the Grand Canyon and prints out great.
Some titles for November are: Hope, Hitting Bottom, The Promises,
Honesty, Patience, Boundaries, Courage, Perfection, etc. Each
meditation begins with a quotation from a famous person followed by
the experience, strength and hope of the author relating to that
quotation. All end with a meditation beginning with "One day at a
time."
If you would like to contribute your own meditation, please send it to
RecoveryMeditations@lists.TheRecoveryGroup.org.
If you are not a member of the Recovery Group, or have friends who
aren't, and you or they wish to receive a daily meditation by email,
subscriptions are available by sending a blank email to:
meditationsandrecovery-subscribe-request@lists.therecoverygroup.org.
We hope you will bookmark each of these URLs and come to visit us often.
RECOVERY TECH
The RecoveryTech Loop is a list for those who have technical questions
or comments and is available to all members of The Recovery Group.
Members of the Recovery Group with technical expertise are asked to
join this list and respond to questions sent in by other members.
A FAQ service will be developed from questions and responses appearing
in this forum.
'Members helping members' is the mission of Recovery Tech. Because
our community support team depends on technology, we need to staff
this loop with members who have technical expertise. A lot of our
questions have to do with subscriptions to our support groups and the
online meetings. To join and help with the questions, please send a
blank email to:
RecoveryTech-subscribe-request@lists.therecoverygroup.org.
If you have time to give, are an expert technically and wish to
volunteer to be Recovery Tech, please contact us privately at:
TRGAdm@TheRecoveryGroup.org.
~ FROM OUR RECOVERY GROUP MEMBERS ~
In this column we bring you shares from Recovery Meditations,
Odyssey, Danny's "Letters To God", Journey to Recovery, Reflections,
The Promises and many others. This month we continue highlighting
"Recovery Inspirations", a collection of twenty different writings
which we hope will inspire you. Most of the inspirations are unknown,
so if you can identify the author of any, please let us know so the
appropriate credit can be given. The inspiration we have chosen
to highlight this month is called "Instructions for Life", and has
been attributed to the Dalai Lama.
~ FROM THE LITERATURE ~
"In spite of the great increase in the size and the span of this Fellowship, at its core it remains simple and personal. Each day, somewhere in the world, recovery begins when one alcoholic (COE) talks with another alcoholic (COE), sharing experience, strength, and hope (ESH)".
AABB, P. xxii (Last paragraph of Foreward)
~ RECOVERY MEDITATIONS ~
~
November Meditations Calendar ~
(http://www.therecoverygroup.org/meditations/november.html)
THE RECOVERY GROUP ONLINE MEETINGS
Telephone 505-891-2664
~~ The Serenity Prayer ~~
What we could never do alone ~
One day at a time, ~ Disclaimer
Volume 5 Issue 11 ©
Copyright 2003 THE RECOVERY GROUP All rights reserved.
~ THE RECOVERY GROUP MEETINGS ~
Dear Family of Choice:
The OA program offers its members a new pattern of living. One of the
basic elements of that new pattern is regular meetings and meeting
attendance.... For the newcomer, living without Compulsive Overeating
(COE) is a brand new experience. All that once was familiar is changed
and the old people, places and things that served as props on the stage
of their lives is gone. New stresses appear, no longer masked or
deadened by the food. That's why we suggest that newcomers attend a
meeting every day. No matter what comes up, no matter how crazy their
day gets, we know that a daily meeting will await them. No day should
go by without the relief we get from our Fellowship.
Well, what about us "old timers"? No matter how long we have been in
Recovery we must attend regular meetings to reinforce our identity as
RECOVERING COEs. Each meeting helps us get that much further away
from becoming active in our addiction again.
Meetings are a huge part of our new pattern of living.
To this end, TRG has a dream; a rather simple one. We hope to
eventually have meetings every 3 hours, every day, 7 days a week, at
3AM, 6AM, 9AM, 12PM, 3PM, 6PM, 9PM and midnight (EST). And that, my dear
family of choice, is why we are here.... Our challenge is to make
this dream a reality.
The question is HOW do we do it?
We need you.... We are in need of Leaders for our 'round the clock
meetings.
To all of you who have offered to lead meetings, I would like to ask you
to step forward, choose a meeting time slot and commit to that time. WE
NEED LEADERS if we are to make our dream come true.
I lead several meetings every week, and I love it. I truly look forward
to the contact with those people who have come to mean the world to me…
I get so much more out of this service work than out of any other… Try
it – I promise you will love it!!!!!!
Please step up, and give back what this wonderful Program of Recovery so
freely gives to each and everyone of us. There is no need to commit to
several meetings, just one would be fine... But please be sure that your
"Yes" is a *true* "Yes"... We rely on each other to carry the message.
Love in service,
Danielle,
Meetings Committee Chairperson
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
SEND TO:
MtgAdm@lists.TheRecoveryGroup.org
Yes, count me in. I'd like to lead a meeting at the following times:
___________________________________________
Name _____________________________________
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
To reach the Recovery Group website:
Or, go
directly to the meeting webpage at:
http://therecoverygroup.org/meetings/index.html.
For AOL members, there is a direct link to #Recovery:
#Recovery on StarChat.Network. AOL users need to first go
to the Meeting website and look at the special instructions
for AOL users before they can fully participate in the
meetings or they can go to:
http://www.starchat.net/aol.php.
#Recovery is the meeting room for Recovery Group. There
is a doorway to #Recovery on the Recovery Group website,
www.therecoverygroup.org. The meeting room can be directly
accessed by going to either of these sites:
http://www.starchat.net/recovery
or
http://www.starchat.net/chat/?chan=recovery.
You can find other helpful information, including on-line
meeting protocols at:
http://recovery.hiwaay.net/support/meetings.html.
~ OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS CONTACTS ~
World Service Office (WSO)
6075 Zenith Ct. NE
PO Box 44020
Rio Rancho, NM 87124
USA
Fax: 505-891-4320
http://www.overeatersanonymous.org/index.htm
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 ~
Is the realization that recovery begins when we find one another."
Grant us the SERENITY to accept the things we cannot change;
The COURAGE to change the things we can;
And the WISDOM to know the difference.
We can do together.
One step at a time.
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.
