Month: March 2014

New Friday Telephone Meeting

Online Intergroup is delighted to announce the start of a new weekly SCA telephone meeting on Fridays. The Friday meetings will start at 2 p.m. New York (Eastern) time and run for one hour, with time allowed at the end for informal chat and fellowship, similar to the existing meetings. 

Equivalent start times in other zones are: 11 a.m. Los Angeles (Pacific) time, 12 p.m. Denver/Saskatoon (Mountain) time, 1 p.m. Chicago/St. Louis (Central) time, 7 p.m. London/Dublin time (BST) and 8 p.m. Paris/Vienna/Berlin time (CEST). Equivalents for Australia are Saturday at 5:00 a.m. Sydney/Melbourne time (AEDT), and for New Zealand, Saturday at 7:00 a.m. Christchurch/Auckland/Wellington time (NZDT). 

The first such meeting will be held on Friday, April 4, 2014, and the above start times are accurate for that date, allowing for the change to Daylight Saving Time in most of Europe the weekend before. Australia and New Zealand’s start date will be Saturday, April 5, 2014. 

This brings the regular weekly telephone meetings now on offer through Online Intergroup to three meetings total per week, on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Sunday and Wednesday meetings will continue to start at 4 p.m. New York (Eastern) time as usual. 

Members interested in attending can sign up in one of three ways: 

  1. Via the Online SCA website at http://www.onlinesca.org/telephoneaccess.htm. (New and existing telephone meeting members).
  2. Via the OI Moderator Gmail address used by Online Intergroup for correspondence with telephone meeting members. (Existing telephone meeting members).
  3. Via the Chairperson or Telephone Meeting Coordinators during the course of a telephone meeting. Please let the relevant Trusted Servant know at the end of any phone meeting that you would like to be registered for the new Friday meeting. (Existing telephone meeting members). 

NOTE: The Friday meeting will be OPT IN for all EXISTING telephone meeting members, who must specifically request to be registered for it. Going forward, the Friday meeting will be OPT OUT for all NEW telephone meeting members, who will automatically be registered for all three weekly telephone meetings unless they specifically opt out of one or more days upon sign-up. 

All SCA Online Intergroup telephone meetings are open to all SCA members worldwide, members of other “S” fellowships, and anyone qualifying under the Third Tradition. 

The Friday meetings will be held via the Calliflower conference call service that is used by the existing telephone meetings, as well as by ISO and several committees. This allows most people to call in free or at low cost through several common internet telephony services, depending on where you live, and at normal local tariffs via regular phone to local numbers provided by the conference call service in many parts of the world. In rare cases, long distance charges may apply. 

Current free options are Calliflower Connect, Calliflower’s custom internet phone service, Google Voice, Google Talk, Gmail Call Phone and Skype-to-Skype calls. (Google calls are currently free within the USA and Canada but low cost from outside North America). SCA does not endorse or recommend any of these companies, they are mentioned merely as service providers enabling the weekly telephone meetings to occur, and are for use or not by members at their sole discretion. 

Please pass this news on. An updated flyer will be circulated for distribution around the fellowship in due course. 

Do join us on the line on Fridays if you can, and be sure to let your groups, members and friends know about this exciting new recovery option!

In service,

Kevin – Online Intergroup

New York Spring Conference Update

The above will occur from May 16-18 in New York, location to be announced later.  Already the Special Events Committee has chosen a show to be presented concurrently, and anyone interested in participating in any aspect of the conference can contact Tony D. at events [at] scany.org.

My Daily Spiritual Practice

by Karl S.

As adapted from the AA Big Book, p. 85, “what [I] really have is a daily reprieve [from my sex addiction] contingent on the maintenance of [my] spiritual condition.”  I tend to my recovery the way I water my plants. My sobriety requires daily care. This has been my exploration, in case it is helpful to you.

First, I get up early enough before my work or social responsibilities to have time alone (and with my Higher Power.) There’s something about being conscious as the light awakens the day that makes me feel one with the world. I aim to be up 30 to 60 minutes before I need to head out for work or social engagements.

I first connect with God and myself. It helps me center, get grounded, so I can be fully present for others with less of the clutter of my own ego-based needs to get in the way.

I keep a journal in a regular place in my living room by my futon with a pen handy. I sit yoga style, prop myself up with pillows, and prepare to empty my brain. I jot down bits of dreams I remember, reflect on yesterday’s challenges, but mostly à la Julia Cameron, I let the flow from brain-to pen-to journal happen freestyle.  Allowing the thoughts to leave me, and go to God–Good Orderly Direction

I sit for a moment in silence after closing and putting away my journal, and listen for guidance.  I might get nothing, that’s OK. Then I recite the 3rd and 7th Step prayers, often on my knees. The recitation is usually calming. If I have time, I might pray for love, joy, health and peace–for my Mom, Dad, brother, co‐workers, friends–the key people in my life. I particularly add people toward whom I feel a burning resentment.

Then I do a series of yoga poses called the “sun salutations.” The ritual of rolling out the mat and doing the stretches awakens me, and gets me ready to face the day. Then I can open my door, to face the world, be kind and thoughtful, do God’s will for me, in service. I think of giving of myself, because I’ve filled my spiritual vessel.

I’m pretty active–enjoying running, biking, swimming and lifting weights. So hitting the gym or the pavement before the morning rush is also meditative for me.

Some days, I have a ½ hour for a spiritual meal, other times an hour or just 10 minutes. I fit in a mix of the above things that call to me the most. Occasionally I do part of my practice while walking to the train, or on the commute to work.

At night, I try to do some sort of ritual, even if it’s after porn and chocolate, to rest my brain and thoughts. I might do a quiet reflection on how the day went, or bookend with
an SCA buddy about a difficult moment. Often, I’m checking in with a sponsee. Then I turn off all electronics and the sound on my cell, and entering my de-cluttered bedroom, I
shut the curtain and turn off the lights. It’s time for HP to do work in my dreams.

Wisdom can come too from a sponsor, qualification, program buddy or share. I listen for that too. It turns out there’s tons of support to maintain my spiritual condition each day.