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WINGING ITF A L L 2 0 1 8
“WINGING IT” RETURNS!
Cathy G. has been in OA since 1990. After being in the rooms for
15 years she stopped coming. Although being free from bulimia since
November of 1990, she continued to struggle with certain binge
foods and behaviors. In spring of 2017, Cathy began listening to
phone meetings. There she heard a different magnitude of recovery
and has been abstinent since July of 2017. Cathy will be speaking
at the October 6, 2018 SNI Recovery Event.Have you had experience
with recovery as well as relapse during the holidays?- Cathy: I
experienced many holidays in relapse so I totally understand that,
but certainly, abstinence is much pre-ferred.Do you have certain
strategies that help you during the holidays:- Cathy: For me, the
holidays are no different than any other day of absti-nence. I go
into them as I do any event
or celebration where there is lots of food and ask God: “How can
I be of service at this event? How can I bring joy?” This summer at
a pool party, I brought a bubble machine! I focused on the fun and
not the food. Addition-ally my focus is so different now, after
Thanksgiving last year, I realized I had no idea what anyone else
had eaten - my focus was not on the food!! What a gift!
What experience, strength and hope can you share with a
strug-gling member regarding the holi-days?- Cathy: The same advice
I am going to give myself: to slow down! Be inten-tional about
slowing down and inviting HP in. Ask HP what he would have the day
look like. I need more quiet time during the holiday times because
of the energy at those times. I need to be super mindful about
simplifying and slowing down.
Spotlight On Speaker
SHARE WITH US
How about stories, thoughts, or ideas
about your program?
Interested in sharing your recovery,experience,strength, and
hope?
Would you like to be added to the newsletter
distribution list?
As your Winging It editors, we want to hear from you!
Info requested by:Dec 1, 2018
Email your contributions to [email protected]
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Twelve Steps to a BETTER HOLIDAY SEASON
SAVE THE DATES:
OUR NEXT SUBURBAN NORTH INTERGROUP
RECOVERY EVENTSpeaker(s), group sharing,
fellowship, and more
Feb 2, 20191 p.m.—4 p.m.
Vernon Township2900 N. Main StreetBuffalo Grove, IL
[email protected]
REGION 5FALL ASSEMBLY
October 19-21 2018
Chesterton, IN
1. We admitted that the holiday season has a deeper meaning than
devour-ing food.
2. We came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could
help us see and celebrate the true meaning of the season.
3. We came to believe that our Higher Power could help us
appreciate the joyfulness of the season as we understand it.
4. We made a searching and thorough examination of our
relationship with food during the holidays and other things we
enjoy about the season.
5. We admitted to our Higher Power the exact nature of our food
habits during holiday season past.
6. We became entirely ready to allow our Higher Power to remove
our at-tachment to food as a necessity of the holidays.7. We humbly
asked him to remove our desire to partake of holiday treats.
8. We made a list of all persons whose presence makes the
holiday season joyful for us and with whom we would like to share
our joy.
9. We made plans to spend time with those people whenever
possible, except when to do so would remove us from our primary
purpose of absti-nence.
10. We continue to enjoy the company of friends and family and
other non-food aspects of the season.
11. We sought through prayer and meditation to improve our
appreciation of the season, praying for knowledge of its meaning
and the joy we feel at the time.
12. Having realized that sharing the joy of this season with
others far out-lasts the fleeting pleasure of food, we gave
ourselves the gift of abstinence throughout the holidays and gave
others the gift of our full attention and appreciation.
Reprinted from Lifeline November 2007 pg.16.
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ABSTINENCE THROUGH THE HOLIDAYS
Who among us has a crystal ball that can predict the future?
None of us. The truth is, I cannot pre-dict what will happen in the
next five minutes, let alone what will happen in the next few
months. However, what I DO have control over are the choices that I
make. Just for today, I will make the choice to work the Steps of
the OA program. For today, I will put my trust in my Higher Power,
cherishing that relationship above all others. And because I value
it so highly, I will say my morning prayers and I will meditate. I
will say my evening prayers, acknowledging any wrong I may have
done someone, including myself, and be grateful for another day to
live this life. As things come up in my day, I will ask for
guidance from my Higher Power on what I should do; what direction I
should take. If the Divine answer doesn’t come in a way I
understand, I trust to my instincts and have faith.
If I commit to working the Steps and using the Tools of OA, I am
establishing good habits, which, if done faithfully, will be my
protection during the holidays. Doing the next right thing,
checking in regularly with my Higher Power to see if I’m on the
right track (and not going off the rails), mak-ing outreach calls,
writing, having a sponsor, and a plan of eating, all contribute to
strengthening my immunity during end of the year celebrations. It
is wonderful to wake up without a food hang-over and with a clear
head. It enhances my joy and my celebration.And what happens if I
have a slip? I forgive my-self with love, acknowledging but not
enabling my disease, and climb back onto the Good Ship OA and sail
on.I’m Pat and I’m a compulsive overeater.
SERVICE IN MANY DIFFERENT FORMS:Call people you haven’t seen at
a meeting for a while, offer them en-couragement and ask how they
are doing. At a meeting, share how you are using the program to
come through relapse and return to re-covery. Offer to drive
someone to a meeting. Let others know about holiday marathon
meetings that may take place in your area. Ask a member to help you
with service opportunities.
- Edited and reprinted from Lifeline, August 2013; Used by
permission; originally published from Serenity Press newsletter,
Serenity in the Desert Intergroup, Decem-ber 2010
Feb 2, 20191 p.m.—4 p.m.
Vernon Township2900 N. Main StreetBuffalo Grove, IL
[email protected]
October 19-21 2018
Chesterton, IN
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F I R S T S T E P P I N G THROUGH THE HOLIDAYS
“The first step is the only step you have to work perfectly
every day,” was the wise counsel of a for-mer sponsor. I am
powerless over food. Every day I need to be aware that I am a
compulsive eater. There are no special days or holidays for me. My
disease will not take a day off for the holidays so neither can I.
My daily reprieve from compulsive food behaviors comes from working
a twelve-step program each and every day. Engaging in what has been
described as “recreational” food behaviors at the holidays or any
day is not for me.
If I sound emphatic about working the first step during the
holidays, it is because I have learned from experience that I have
to be. The last time I ate compulsively was at a holiday hosted at
my house. For years a salad, vegetables and cut up fruit have been
my food offerings at family holiday gatherings. My family knows
that I will eat a sim-ple starch and meat they prepare and will
give wide berth to any snacks they set out. Yet when planning the
menu for Easter at my home in 2017, I included two tempting starch
dishes and an irresistible salty snack food. Supposedly these
choices were treats for my family, but actually these were foods I
would like to eat. I was setting myself up for a fall. My slip was
inevitable. After eating only a half portion of each of the two
tempting starches, I lulled myself into believing I obviously was
in control and could eat just a bit of the salty snack. But I am
powerless
over food--my brakes are broken. Having started on the snack
food, I could not stop myself. The mis-ery I felt as I compulsively
ate that salty snack food was acute. I was so full of self-loathing
that I didn’t even want to be in the same room as myself. That day
could not be over fast enough so I could start a new day with a
clean slate of abstinence again. This is not an experience I ever
want to repeat.
Now I truly recognize how much the first step needs to part of
my plans for every holiday gathering. I AM powerless over food.
When I go to someone’s home, I will continue to bring a salad,
vegetables and fruit to share. When people come to my home, I will
prepare a menu that includes a safe starch for me and does not
include the salty treat I now rec-ognize as a big trigger food. If
others bring tempt-ing foods to a holiday gathering, those foods
will safely remain off limits to me because I will have provided
myself with smarter options. My disease is cunning, baffling and
powerful. It is patient too. It is always waiting for me to give it
an opening op-portunity to pounce. My job is to remember the first
step when making holiday food plans.
AbstInence Is hAppIness After All!
Linda A.Mt. Prospect
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SNI THANKS YOU FOR YOUR GROUP’S CONTRIBUTIONS: Your $ goes
towards SNI recovery events, the newsletter, outreach/service and
expenses for World Service Business Conference delegates and Region
Assembly representatives.
SEVENTH TRADITION
Contributions can be sent to the below mailing addresses. Thank
you.
1/31/18 $79.98 06854St. Benedict's Abbey, Benet Lake, WI
(Antioch Area), Fri 10:00am
1/31/18
1/31/18
$248.55 07207
$258.90 15457
St. Giles Episcopal Church, Northbrook, Sat 11:00am
Niles Community Church, Niles, Mon 7:00pm
1/31/18 $65.40 33402St. Lawrence Episcopal Church,
Libertyville,
Sat 8:00am2/26/18 $139.00 07972St. Marcelline, Schaumburg, Wed
9:30am
2/26/18 $216.00 51151Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Elgin, Fri
9:00am
2/26/18 $82.20 52377St. Martha School, Morton Grove, Wed
7:00pm
4/4/18
4/4/18
$68.01 04179
$114.88 13044
St.Simon's Episcopal Chruch, Arlington Heights, Mon 7:30pm
Northwest Community Hospital, Arlington Heights, Sat 2:30pm
4/4/18 $34.30 50457Lieberman Center, Skokie, Thursday 7:30pm
4/4/18 $35.00 54404
4/30/18 $46.00 07972
ARC (Antioch Recovery Center), Antioch, Mon 10:30am
St. Marcelline, Schaumburg, Wed 9:30am
4/30/18 $65.09 33402St. Lawrence Episcopal Church,
Libertyville,
Sat 8:00am
5/31/18 $117.52 54010Congregation Beth Shalom, Northbrook, Mon
10:00am
5/31/18 $124.80 54010
6/30/18 $120.00 51151
Congregation Beth Shalom, Northbrook, Mon 10:00am
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Elgin, Fri 9:00am
6/30/18 $90.00 52063First Presbyterian Church - Deerpath Rm,
Lake Forest, Wed 1:00pm
6/30/18
8/26/18
8/26/18
$180.00 56057
$102.46 04179
$35.04 06854
Office Suites - Suite #102, Northbrook,
Thur 7:00pmSt.Simon's Episcopal Chruch, Arlington
Heights, Mon 7:30pmSt. Benedict's Abbey, Benet Lake, WI
(Antioch Area), Fri 10:00am
8/26/18
8/26/18
8/26/18
8/26/18
8/26/18
$108.52 07207
$120.00 07972
$120.00 07972
St. Giles Episcopal Church, Northbrook,
Sat 11:00am
St. Marcelline, Schaumburg, Wed 9:30amSt. Lawrence Episcopal
Church, Libertyville,
Sat 8:00am$163.80 34562
$120.00 51151
St. Mathew's Church, Evanston, Sat 9:00am
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Elgin, Fri 9:00am
8/26/18 $132.00 52377St. Martha School, Morton Grove, Wed
7:00pm
4/30/18 $360.00 19803First United Methodist Church, Crystal
Lake, Sat 10:00am
Note to all groups: Thank you kindly for your donations. This is
a year-to-date listing and the dates listed for each donation are
the dates the funds were deposited.
In Service, Neal M., SNI Treasurer
OA groups are encour-aged to send 7th Tradition
contributions to:
SNI (60% of total contribution)
World Service(30% of total contribution)
Region 5(10% of total contribution)
SUBURBAN NORTHIntergroup
P.O. Box 5934 Buffalo Grove, IL
60089
WORLD SERVICE OFFICEPO Box 44727
Rio Rancho, NM 87174
REGION 5P.O. Box 1087 Lom-bard, IL 60148-2375
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Everyone is welcome to join us at our monthly Suburban North
Intergroup (SNI) meetings!
We meet the first Saturday of the month. Our meetings are
heldfrom 10:00 a.m. — 12:00 p.m. at the Buffalo Grove Youth Center,
50 1/2 Raupp Road, Buffalo
Grove, IL. Call SNI Deanna B. 224-639-0899 for more info. All
groups are encouraged to send a representative.
2018 SUBURBAN NORTH INTERGROUP OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE CHAIRS
TWELFTH STEP WITHIN COMMITTEE(Open Position)
WINGING IT COMMITTEEPenny N.Sue N.Tina
[email protected]
BYLAWS COMMITTEE(Open Position)
PUBLIC INFORMATION/PROFESSIONAL OUT-REACH (PI/PO) (Open
Position)
SNI CHAIRDeanna [email protected]
SNI VICE CHAIR DESIGNATEdDOWNLOADERJune L.
RECORDING SECRETARY(Open Position)
CORRESPONDINGSECRETARYTina [email protected]
TREASURERNeal [email protected]
HOLIDAY WORD SEARCH
[ TOOLS [ PRAYER [ SURRENDER [ STEPS ] FELLOWSHIP [ THANKFUL
[ MEDITATE [ POWERLESS [ HIGHER [ POWER [ GRATEFUL [
HOLIDAYS
[ ABSTINENCE
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ABSTIN ENCE AND THANKSGIVING
Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. Everyone
always seemed to be in good spirits, and we were at least thinking
about people and things for which we were thankful. We worked hard
at preparing the food and setting the table so that it looked “just
right.” The kitchen was abuzz with sometimes one too many cooks,
but we always seemed to get through it. Family members were trying
to steal a piece of turkey as my dad tried to carve without cutting
off fingers that hovered over the platter. I loved all the
Thanks-giving fare. All of the dinner items (we didn’t prepare
appetizers as we were all leaving room for dessert!) All of those
memories now seem to fade a little as I re-member how I felt after
consciously or unconsciously overeating. I wanted just one more
bite of something or one more slice of dessert. I could feel that I
was full, but it seemed to make no difference to me. I had
mem-ories of feeling uncomfortably full, but those memo-ries faded
as compared to the spread that I had before me. Eventually the
Tryptophan hit me, and sleep came easily.
Those were the memories I have of the past. Thanks to the
program, my fellows and my Higher Power, my Thanksgiving is much
different. There is still much work to be done in the preparation
of special and loved
recipes of the past. I still enjoy the food, but I make plans as
to what I am to eat and the amount. My first Thanksgiving in the
program was celebrated with my family in California. We made the
meal together and they told me that “we will all be too full to
have des-sert so let’s not make any.” That was their wonderful
attempt at not tempting me. It was much appreciated, but no longer
necessary. With the help of the program, I can eat abstinently and
make a “dessert” that fits in line with my food plan. I now know
what it feels like to walk away from the table feeling satisfied
and not stuffed. The Tryptophan sleep is a thing of the past. But I
could never have accomplished this without OA. I had tried so many
times for so many years, but it never worked. And when I give
thanks, I give thanks to my Higher Power, for helping to guide me
through this holiday. After all, it is Thanksgiving, not
“Foodgiving”, and I have so much for which I am truly
THANKFUL!!
Sue N.
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For meeting information or changes, contact Tina M. at
312-473-9085
The web- sites www.oa.org and www.region5oa.org also have
information about meetings and upcoming events. If you are looking
for an Open Meeting for information, please call the contact person
first before
attending the meeting.
SNI phone number is 855-632-6039
As of October 2018, SNI is made up of 28 groups.
In keepIng wIth our tradItIon of anonymIty, the photos shown are
stock photos, not oa members
