EVENTS . Gorging on Recovery XVII Campvention Guelph Lake Conservation Area June

27- 30, 2008/ 45$ per person C.C.N.A. (Canadian Convention of Narcotics Anonymous) August 29-31, 2008 Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island www.ccnaconvention.org $30.00 for pre-

registration (up to June 15, 2008) and $35.00 after that W.C.N.A. *World Convention of Narcotics Anonymous) August 20-23, 2009

Barcelona, Spain

See www.glana.ca for more details

ANNIVERSARIES Way to Go, Guys!!!!!!!!!

Tuesday nights Alive n Kickin

, We Can

ckin

positions ction in July.

arting at 1:30 pm on Road

If you have any suggestions or ideas please feel free to email us at nanewsletter@hotmail.com

June 1 -Jeff T celebrates 2 years Sarnia June 2- Doug T celebrates 6 years Sarnia June 8 -Jen celebrates 1 year Sarnia June 24-Stewart A celebrates 10 years atJune 25-Bill A celebrates 12 years Exeter hope & Freedom Group June 30 -Lawrence B celebrates 12 years at Monday nights I CantJuly 19 -Shy B acknowledges 3 years at Wednesday nights Back to Basics July 21 -Jim C acknowledges 7 years Monday nights I Cant, We Can July 29- Kevin B celebrates 4 years at Tuesday nights Recovery Rocks David S -acknowledges 2 year at Tuesday nights Alive nKickin August 10- Shawn J 18 months Sarnia August 26- Bonnie J acknowledges 3 years at Tuesday nights Alive n Kickin August 26- Kristen F acknowledges 3 years at Tuesday nights Alive n Kickin August 26-Ali acknowledges 2 year at Tuesday nights Alive n Kickin August 26-Josie W acknowledges 4years at Tuesday nights Alive n KiZack N- celebrates 1 year Sarnia Friday night group Mark -celebrates 1 year Sarnia Thursday night group

AREA POSITIONS AVAILABLE - Treasurer and alternate, - Alternate secretary One year clean time is required for these All London area subcommittee positions come up for re-ele If interested in any of these positions, inquire at an Area meeting, st on the 2ndSunday of every month @ Street Connection, 258 Horton Street at Wellingt . Or approach myself Kevin V or Pat K we dont bite. Well I dont for sure; you may want to be careful about Pat though! If you are not sure who we are ask around.

LONDON AREA NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS NEWSLETTER P.O. BOX 1735, STATION A,

LONDON ONTARIO

LONDON NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS LIFE LINE NEWSLETTER

www.nanewsletter@hotmail.com

July 2008 INSIDE

Something I have noticed Thoughts to ponder A new beginning Thank-You Events Anniversaries Area Positions

***FREE*** NA Way Subscriptions The NA Way magazine is the quarterly International Journal of Narcotics

Anonymous and is FREE. Contact www.na.org or 818-773-9999.

Something I have noticed One of the more interesting things about recovery for me of late, is the ability to see the process beginning to take effect in my own life. It's no surprise to me that when I first arrived in the rooms I felt very little acceptance of myself. The truth be told, I had been practicing behaviors that were both unacceptable and destructive to myself and others. It is true, I did a great many of these things in aid of my addiction, but nonetheless these behaviors defined me in my own eyes, the eyes of my family and friends and in the eyes of my community. It was only through the steady application of the steps and of those suggestions that we all hear in the rooms that has helped me to begin to change the way I looked at myself. It's hard to believe that the simple actions of getting a sponsor, picking a home group, and regularly attending that group could have such a profound way of changing the way I see myself and others. In following these simple actions, I began to practice the principals of recovery without even realizing it. In selecting a sponsor I began exercising the principal of willingness. I had to admit that things had gone terribly wrong and I had to be willing to follow the direction of someone other than myself. I had to become open and willing to change. In choosing a home group I was working the principal of commitment to myself and to others and also agreeing to participate in the life of that group by attending business meetings and doing service etc. By regularly attending my home group I was exercising the principal of consistency, of being accountable to others, showing I was someone who could be depended upon. I have to be truthful, in the beginning I didn't recognize any of these other benefits, they were just the actions I took to stay clean. As time passed I began to realize that these new behaviors were having a direct effect on my inner dialogue and the way I saw myself. That inner landscape that for so long had been full of negativity and bitterness began to change to one of more readily accepting myself and others. What were once the actions I took just to stay clean were also becoming the language I used to redefine myself. When I struggle today with the situations of my life, that inner voice is not so quick to offer criticism, in fact it's more likely to offer me words of comfort and hope. This new inner language for me encompasses words like honesty, open-mindedness, willingness, compassion, empathy, perseverance, commitment, consistency, dignity, hope and freedom. In truth this language is neither new, nor mine, but is to be found at the heart of the 12 steps of Narcotics Anonymous in the principals and ethical behaviors that are embodied in these steps. This is not to say that I still don't suffer setbacks or failures, I most certainly do. I can still lose my equilibrium and act out in inappropriate ways with anger, sarcasm even self pity. The difference is today I know that the quicker I get back to defining my life by the principals of Narcotics Anonymous the quicker my balance will return. I realize today that I am indeed a very fortunate man, who with a great deal of support and encouragement offered to me from the people of Narcotics Anonymous has found a new way to live. Kevin V

Thoughts to ponder For those who are contemplating or doing a fourth step consider this: The unexamined life is not worth living Socrates (469 BC-399 BC) It seems even then they knew that being reflective was part of what made life better.

A New Beginning

I was living in eternal night, Saw no end to my plight, Doomed to this way life, Knowing only pain and strife. Then you came to me like the morning sun, Wiped away my tears, Gently easing my fears, Waking me from the nightmare I was in, Telling me that I wasnt a child of sin. They, there are others like you my child, Seek them out, for they will show you the way, And bring you the hope of a new day, Loving you until you can do the same for yourself. Brothers and sisters I came to trust, Accepting me for who I was, Teaching me how to live, Showing me a new way to give, Healing the sickness in my mind, Souls that I knew were my kind.

So I pray at night to you Divine Mother, For seeing me through my dark days, Mending the tear in my soul, It was you that brought the hope back to my life, Cutting away the old, Recovering my heart of gold.

Pat K. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our outgoing chair Kirby A, for his commitment and fine work he did while he was with the news letter. It is known by anyone who does service that it can at times be a frustrating endeavor, but again much is learned about oneself and the opportunity to serve is just one of the many principals of the 12 steps of Narcotics Anonymous. So once again Kirby thank-you for your service. The newsletter will now be produced on a bi -monthly or quarterly basis. I understand this is not the ideal but few things in life ever are. It is hoped it will return to a monthly issue in the future. As both Pat and I are new to this I ask for your patience and tolerance as we make our mistakes. In Service Pat K and Kevin V

INSIDE

/ColorImageDict > /JPEG2000ColorACSImageDict > /JPEG2000ColorImageDict > /AntiAliasGrayImages false /DownsampleGrayImages true /GrayImageDownsampleType /Bicubic /GrayImageResolution 300 /GrayImageDepth -1 /GrayImageDownsampleThreshold 1.50000 /EncodeGrayImages true /GrayImageFilter /DCTEncode /AutoFilterGrayImages true /GrayImageAutoFilterStrategy /JPEG /GrayACSImageDict > /GrayImageDict > /JPEG2000GrayACSImageDict > /JPEG2000GrayImageDict > /AntiAliasMonoImages false /DownsampleMonoImages true /MonoImageDownsampleType /Bicubic /MonoImageResolution 1200 /MonoImageDepth -1 /MonoImageDownsampleThreshold 1.50000 /EncodeMonoImages true /MonoImageFilter /CCITTFaxEncode /MonoImageDict > /AllowPSXObjects false /PDFX1aCheck false /PDFX3Check false /PDFXCompliantPDFOnly false /PDFXNoTrimBoxError true /PDFXTrimBoxToMediaBoxOffset [ 0.00000 0.00000 0.00000 0.00000 ] /PDFXSetBleedBoxToMediaBox true /PDFXBleedBoxToTrimBoxOffset [ 0.00000 0.00000 0.00000 0.00000 ] /PDFXOutputIntentProfile () /PDFXOutputCondition () /PDFXRegistryName (http://www.color.org) /PDFXTrapped /Unknown

/Description >>> setdistillerparams> setpagedevice