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I recently attended an OA workshop in my area, and the format had a writing exercise on the Step 9 promises from the AA Big Book on pages 83-84.  The workshop leader asked an attendee to read these promises aloud to the group, then asked everyone in the room to really listen to the words of the reading. After the reading, he invited us to write on the words or phrases that spoke to us about the promises.

What jumped out to me in the reading were 2 sections – “We will intuitively know how to handle situations that used to baffle us.” The second is “God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.”

These are coming through in my life, especially more so lately. I seem to be able to discern what to do and say in certain situations that arise in my life with family members or friends. I do not try to jump in and “fix” so quickly like I used to. That is where the second quote comes in. I remember to “Let go and let God,” knowing that my HP (God) will help me deal with whatever I need help with. These are some of the many messages that our OA 12-Step program has taught me. I get everything I need to live a good life without falling into the compulsion of using food to cope with “situations that used to baffle” me. This is why I am still in OA after almost 50 years. I will always have “situations that used to baffle” me, as long as I am on this earth. I am never finished growing and learning.  And I am grateful that I was given this wonderful, life-giving program to follow.

Thank you God, and thank you OA!

– Evelyn S.

“When all is said and done, all we can do is surrender to God and accept the situation. Any other route will keep us in bondage. God wants me to experience freedom, so I surrender.”

– Anonymous

When I came into program originally, I resided in the Northeast Portion of Pennsylvania, in a small town that had only one OA meeting. The closest meeting outside of my little town was 25 miles away! There was no internet then, no texting, and of course no Zoom meetings. The result was if I wanted to get to more meetings, I had to be willing to go to any length, which meant inconveniencing myself and traveling to get to a meeting. Since the advent of Zoom meetings, it seems that recovery has become convenient; I believe that recovery will always happen at your inconvenience! The Big Book describes the essentials of recovery as Honesty, Openmindeness, and Willingness. I often ask myself what am I willing to do to get recovery? Am I willing to go to meetings? Am I willing to work the steps? Am I willing to do service? Going to any length means being willing to do my part to make sure OA remains in place for the suffering compulsive overeater that will need this program as I have. I am forever grateful for the pioneers that began this fellowship. OA could have remained in California had the founders not been willing to do the work it took to make this program available worldwide. Ask yourself, what lengths are you willing to go to get recover?

Make amends if you found any….how about yourself???

Principal of step 9 is LOVE. I suggest this month to look at 1. Have I always loved myself 2. When did I discover that I do and 3. What do I do today to show that I do love myself. Some are doing this. Should I have heard the groans on this first question? I believe that we come to a Twelve Step Program not liking ourselves very much. Just listen to people’s leads.

Think we’ll concentrate on forgiveness and love in this letter. If we haven’t forgiven ourselves something, how can we forgive others. I think forgiveness has to start with self. This does not mean that we condone or support everything we have done. It means that we own it. We accept that we were in the wrong, and then we move on. However sometimes when we recognize we are in the wrong, we slip into our self-centerness, so absorbed and arrogant that often we never reach the stage of forgiveness. Oh there we go again the SELF….self….self….self. Spent too many years on the self prior to OA, not willing to go back there again, too painful. So when we recognize we are in the wrong…it’s time to forgive and move on. If we can’t do that for ourselves how can we ever forgive others? We all need to give and receive forgiveness. I think this is part of being a human being. In our disease we have all done harm to those closest to us. We hurt those we loved the most. I guess it is part of this brutal disease. So to forgive brings relief and care. Forgive ourselves for our actions and forgive others who did not act kindly toward us. When forgiving ourselves and others, be simple, direct, no fanfare. As Dr. Bob would say KEEP IT SIMPLE.

If I still have amends to make to myself or others, I just don’t want to carry all this baggage around anymore. It is just too heavy. Such lightness and freedom in forgiving. And with that lightness and freedom, it is so much easier to love ourselves and others. Sometimes a smile, or a prayer or just listening. I know I need others. We at least most of us live in isolation while in our disease and that was a painful way to live. We don’t need to live that way anymore. I can express my love today and assure my loved ones and my program friends that they are needed. What a wonderful, healthy life. Love is not controlling. Love is placing another’s personal needs above our own, without regret. Love is selfless. Wanting love is a normal human desire, not one we should deny. And we shall receive love, the less our emphasis is on getting it, and more on giving it.

Being loved and knowing that we are loved, assures us of our connection to the world outside of ourselves. At times we do feel unloved. The wonders of love are many. Love is a healing balm for our wounds.

And it nurtures, both the one loving, and the one loved. Love is an energizer. If we aren’t feeling loved, we can love someone else, and probably love will visit us, too.

So today take a look around and give some love to a friend who needs it.

– Anonymous

I have been told that prayer and meditation will help my recovery.  I believe that.  I pray often, throughout the day, but struggle with meditation.  But why?

With this mind racing here and there, thinking about each thing that comes along, how can I get my mind to stand still long enough to meditate? This is what I do: I set a timer for 10 minutes.  (I don’t always make it to 10 minutes but it’s a goal worth striving for.)  I take a deep breath then begin.  What do I think about?  I try to calm my thinking and ask God to speak to me.  Will He?  I don’t know.  Sometimes I get a thought I haven’t thought of before and it’s to do something, call someone, make amends, just something I wasn’t thinking before, and that is usually God speaking to me.  Sometimes an anxious thought comes up and I can follow that thought to the root of it, and maybe there’s fear, anger, dishonesty, self-seeking or selfish behavior at the root of the anxiety.  But wait, this is meditation…God is supposed to be talking to me!  Well, He IS talking to me, showing me blocks to a better relationship with Him.  I have learned that if I am listening for His voice, He will do the rest.  Sometimes I don’t hear anything and just sit around waiting for some revelation.  Sometimes a sweet, gentle voice says I’m ok the way I am.  And sometimes looking at what I am anxious about shows me what God wants me to let go of.

Meditation is never wasted.  It’s always good for my soul and spirit to slow down, listen to my HP, and take away any lessons I’ve learned.  If I didn’t get any palpable items to do or deal with from the time, then I just can rest in the thought that I was there, God was there, and work was done that I don’t even know about!  Many people meditate for more time than this, many just 3 minutes; the amount of time is not the issue.  It’s the willingness to show up, to allow God to speak if He wants to, to be willing to hear His voice speaking into my life. To be honest, I don’t meditate every day, but just writing now about all the benefits of it make me want to start.  Will you join me in fulfilling the part of the 11^th step prayer that recommends meditation?  I hope so!  In the meantime, I’m going to try to up the number of days I meditate until it’s every day, and then try to up the number of minutes, too!

This past Spring, April 2023, I attended my very first Overeaters Anonymous World Service Business Assembly in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  I was what was called a “Green Dot”, the name given to a newcomer at the assembly, because you are given that dot on your nametag.

It was an amazing experience! Exciting, scary, confusing, chaotic, overwhelming, impressive, inspiring, and a wonderful learning time for this recovery compulsive overeater/food addict.  I was assigned a mentor who supported me every step of the way. I witnessed OA service in action in astounding and loving ways, from my mentor explaining the process, to the patience & willingness of anyone I asked questions of, to the strong dedication and work of the officers and trustees and office staff who have given hours of their time and energy to serve unselfishly, to keep OA going strong. And so much more!

I left Albuquerque and the Assembly that week with a grateful heart and a renewed energy and commitment to serve OA and my recovery in a deeper and stronger way. As I have been told many times throughout my OA recovery – ”You can’t keep it unless you give it away.”  And “We act ourselves into recovery”. I have since become more active with service in my home meeting, my Region 5, and World Service.

As I sit here in Edinburgh, IN while attending the Region 5 Assembly, I reflect on the year 2023. This year has been particularly difficult for me. The year began with my oldest niece going into a coma, after a cardiac event, from which she never recovered! My niece passed away in August. She was just 56, and I had been there when she was a newborn. I literally used to change her diapers! In June, I lost one of my closest friends, a woman I used to play piano for, over the phone, as she lived in New Jersey while I live in Kentucky. She called it ” Piano Night with Ed! Since her passing, I have only sat down to the piano a couple of times. The night before I was scheduled to come to Region, my sister in Ohio called to inform me that my mom had passed! Just as OA has become my family of choice, my mom in Ohio was also my family of choice! She wasn’t my biological mom I lost my biological mom when I was 15. My mom in Ohio became my mom when I went to Xenia, Ohio to go to college in 1976. I was a scared, lonely kid from the streets of Philadelphia; I met my mom and sister, and my brothers while they worked in my school cafeteria. The family adopted me and treated me like I was part of their family! OA adopted me as well! I came to OA with a great deal of grief; still grieving my biological mom’s passing. I wasn’t able to cry about her death until a year after being in recovery. I made a trip to South Carolina where she is buried, and cried over her grave, asking her to forgive me for all the foolish things I did when she was alive. Recovery has been my outlet for dealing with grief; in the past, any form of grief was usually dealt with in excess food. Now I know that the only way to deal with grief is with the principles of the program. One of those principles is gratitude. I am grateful that God put a woman in my life that served as a beacon for my hopes and dreams. For 47 years, my mom in Ohio motivated me to do the best I can do, and to be the best person I could be! I am grateful that my lost friend from piano night, shared so much of her life with me, including both of our love for music, and appreciation for life in general. I am grateful that my niece was able to grow up and see her children become adults and start families of their own. OA has taught me that a pain shared, is a pain halved, and a joy shared, is a joy doubled! The pain of my lost loved ones have been halved in my sharing, and I thank God for the doubling of the joy I have in their memories. Thank God for OA, and thank God for all the memories!

According to the Bylaws the duties of the Chair are as follows:

Chairperson: Executive Officer of the Intergroup, having general supervision of its property and affairs, shall;

a. Preside at Intergroup meetings and special meetings as called.

b. Serve as a Representative to Region 5 and a Delegate to World  Service. (10/09)

c. Arrange for meeting rooms when necessary.

d. Serve as ex-officio member of all Committees.

e. Act as a liaison between Intergroups and outside business entities about official business if there are no designated liaisons as assigned by the Bylaws. (11/09)

f. Communicate with the World Service Office if there are questions about Tradition breaks, etc.

g. Be open and available to talk with members about complaints or dissatisfactions.

h. Assume such other powers and duties as are incidental to the Office.

i. Serve on the Executive Board.

So, what does this mean in terms of time and responsibilities. There is nothing I do daily as a chair. For our Intergroup, most of the activity is around the board meeting and Intergroup meeting. For the Board meeting I work with the Secretary on the agenda, getting the ideas from the previous Intergroup meeting to develop the monthly agenda. I preside over the board meeting and guide the conversations around the agenda. For the most part the board meetings last an hour. It is at the board meeting that we discuss what is to be on the agenda for the intergroup meeting. Yearly at the board meeting I work with the board and treasurer set the budget for the coming year. The budget is then approved at the monthly Intergroup meeting. I preside over the intergroup meeting, again guiding the conversations based on the agenda. I manage any voting that may occur based on Robert’s Rules of operation and overall group conscious etiquette. I  respond to any members’ questions or concerns and utilize our Region 5 Trustee Liaison for any questions on traditions.For the Region, I attend Assembly meetings, (twice/year weekend travel) representing Intergroup at the Region. At Assembly I join two Region Committees that help conduct the work for the Region. That appointment is a yearly commitment and usually has monthly meetings and tasks.

For World Service, I am a Delegate representing my Intergroup at the world level. There is a yearly business conference that is five days and requires travel. At World Service you are required to join one Committee and served on the Committee for a year. The Committee meetings are monthly, and tasks are assigned to be completed by the next meeting.

This may all sound like a lot, but it is not overwhelming. There is so much help from what exists and can be reused from past Chairs and Members willing to help. The work is so rewarding to see the growth and strength in our Intergroup and to be part of it. My program and spiritual life has grown with this Service.

As an elected Board Member of a great Intergroup, I have been asked to share my “A Day in the Life” with you all.

I have been abstinent for 7 years and 10 months continuously, became a group Rep in 2015, served as Chairperson for the Professional Outreach Committee, 3 years and 1 month as your Treasurer and am finishing up my third year as an elected Delegate. I am also your elected Chairperson for our 2024 Region 5 Convention.

I am semi-retired from corporate customer service and retail management and currently work part-time as a personal shopper and a file maintenance clerk for a large supermarket chain, since November 2020. I am also an Owner, President, CEO of an independent travel agency. Our 8 ½ month old puppy likes to get me up at 4:15 am when my “morning person” husband’s alarm clock goes off, which has been an opportunity for me to spend more time improving my conscious contact with God. I pray, read, write, sit quietly, and listen (if the dog allows it). I attend two OA meetings each week and listen in on the “A Vision for You” daily phone-in meeting a few times a week. I call my Sponsor once a week and send my 10th Step/Nightly Review daily. I am available and willing to Sponsor.

In accordance with Article VIII, C of my Intergroup’s Bylaws, responsibilities of the Delegates shall be as follows:

1) Give service to and support of OA as a whole. I participate in the World Service Unity with Diversity Committee, which meets once every three months, and contribute to the Subcommittee “Diversity in Action,” which meets monthly. The only requirement for OA membership is the desire to stop eating compulsively. ALL ARE WELCOME HERE.

2) Be familiar with the AA Service Manual, The Twelve Concepts of World Service.

3) Attend Executive Board and Intergroup meetings with voting privileges. (1/15) This usually takes place every 1st Monday of each month, but can change depending on the needs of the Board as a whole.

4) Represent Intergroup at Region 5 Assemblies and the annual World Service Business Conference. These events are currently in person and require travel paid for by Intergroup, except the Region 5 Summer Call-in which is held virtually.

5) Prepare for all assemblies and conferences by reviewing World Service Bylaws, Region 5 Bylaws, and all materials provided specifically for each Conference or Assembly. We receive these materials, via email, in advance giving us time to review before each assembly or conference.

6) Submit to Intergroup written and oral reports of all official activities.

7) Correspond with World Service and Region 5 as necessary.

8) Submit in writing an itemized summary of reimbursable expenses within one month after completion of each Region Assembly or WSBC trip. Expense reports are found on our website.

As a Intergroup Board Member I serve on the Supercommittee which is the 12 Step Within, Public Information (PI), and Profession Outreach (PO). I manage the Intergroup meeting list as a part of this/these committees. I also serve on the Ways & Means Committee; I basically house the literature that Intergroup keeps to sell at events. The committee work I have done with Region 5 includes Chair of the Bylaws Committee and working with the Sponsorship and PI/PO Sub-committees. My term for Delegate will be complete at the end of this year, and I will solely be concentrating on the Region 5 2024 Convention.

I have found that when I give back to this program the program gives back to me. I spend more time with my husband, adult children, and dog, than I would if I was living in my addiction. I am closer to my

Higher Power and my spirituality keeps growing and evolving. I take better care of myself. I breathe.

I am grateful for your trust as an elected servant.

Love to all,

– Marilyn D., Intergroup Delegate