About Esther Hizsa
Esther is a writer, spiritual director, and cofacilitates contemplative retreats and courses. She lives in Vernon, B.C. with her husband, Fred.
As autumn arrives, I find myself with little energy or enthusiasm. I have responsibilities, work to do, and practices to return to but lack the desire to do any of it. I don’t see a clear path forward as Covid … Continue reading →
Posted in compassion, Justice, Reflections, Songs, Stories
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Tagged autumn, Autumn leaves, Denethos, Douglas Hill, Esther Hizsa, Faramir, Lord of the Rings Pippen's Song, orange shirt day, Province of British Columbia, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Truth and Reconciliation
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Fred and I spent a week camping on the southwest coast of Vancouver Island and met many trees there. Sages, you are.You welcome each moment as it is for hundreds of years alive in death content where you are contentin … Continue reading →
Posted in Creation, Justice, Poetry, Reflections
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Tagged China Beach, Esther Hizsa, Fairy Creek, Harris Creek Sitka, Juan de Fuca Provincial Park, Sitka Spruce, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver
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“Don’t teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time and irritates the pig.” I read that quote in Anthony de Mello’s little book Rediscovering Life: Awaken to Reality right after I wrote last week’s blog post. Tony’s words woke … Continue reading →
Posted in Humour, Reflections
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Tagged Anthony de Mello, Awaken to Reality, awareness, BrotherM, Esther Hizsa, happy pig, Ignatius of Loyola, James Finley, Jesus, John 15: 11, John of the Cross, Let Go, Philippians 4: 11-13, Philippians 4:7, piglet lying down, Rediscovering Life, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Tambako the Jaguar
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Sunny dayslong bike ridespeaches and time–lots of leisurely time to enjoy momentswithout conflictdeadlines or problems to solve. Then the rain we needed cameto put out the firesalong with the restrictions we needed to keep us all safe.News kept coming from Haiti … Continue reading →
Posted in compassion, Poetry, Poverty of Spirit, Prayer, Reflections
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Tagged Bernal Saborio, Cheryl Richardson, Covid 19, Esther Hizsa, Everything you've said, forever_carrie_on, hug, Melody Owen, Peaches, Pen Waggener, SoulStream, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Steve Garnaas-Holmes, Tapping Summit
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“When I read your blog I hear how much you’ve changed in the past year,” my friend said. “You’re a lot kinder to yourself.” I smiled and recalled how often I used to hear, “You’re so hard on yourself.” I … Continue reading →
Posted in compassion, Reflections, Spiritual Direction
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Tagged 1 Corinthians 13, Bonnie Henry, Brené Brown, Care, Esther Hizsa, FFTs, kindness, Matthew 19:19, pxfuel, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Tanti Ruwani
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Twenty-four hours before leaving on a bike trip, I had two conversations in which I learned that I’d hurt people I love very much. For the next three days, I was going to be alone with that thought for long … Continue reading →
Posted in Reflections
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Tagged Breaking Boundaries, contemplativechristian, Esther Hizsa, Gabor Maté, Ilya Kaminsky, Isaiah 52:1, Pádraig Ó Tuama, Pistang Gubat at Inosari Agro-forest Farm, Poetry Unbound, Sir David Attenborough, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, The Valley of the Shadow of Death, Tree planting, We Lived Happily During the War
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“How can you be so vulnerable?” readers have asked me over the years. That question makes me nervous. Am I too vulnerable? What criticism have I invited? Then I hear from these askers the most common response to my honesty: … Continue reading →
Posted in community, compassion, Poverty of Spirit, Reflections, Stories, Writing
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Tagged Brené Brown, Catherine Singleton, dandelion, Downton Abbey, Esther Hizsa, Gabor Maté, Glennon Doyle, In the Shelter, Krista Tippett, Living from the Heart, Maya Angelou, On Being, Pádraig Ó Tuama, Peter Ealey, Shame, Sia, SoulStream, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, The Wisdom of Trauma, Thomas Hübl, vulnerability, Vulnerability Ted Talk
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I told my spiritual director about my compulsion to be outside, my recent episode of anxiety, and Heidi’s horticultural house call. “I felt like I was doing so much better. People have even commented that I’m more relaxed than I … Continue reading →
“You see these roots here? They’re brown and have no filaments on them.” My daughter, Heidi, sat on our balcony holding my poor, naked Christmas cactus and pulled away the old soil and dead roots. “No wonder the leaves are … Continue reading →
Posted in compassion, Creation, Reflections, Stories
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Tagged Alice Popkorn, Christmas Cactus, Esther Hizsa, Gabor Maté, healing, Julian of Norwich, Loneliness, Psalm 52:8, Richard Rohr, root rot, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Thomas Merton, trauma, true self
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Fred retired this year and, with his unrestricted schedule and my flexible one, we’ve spent a lot of time outside. Our last camping trip was to E.C. Manning Park where we hiked into alpine meadows, kayaked on Lightning Lake, and … Continue reading →
Posted in Creation, Reflections, Stories
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Tagged Coprinus comatus, Creation, Cycling Fort Langley, Esther Hizsa, Genesis 28:16, Manning Park, Mt. Frosty, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Three Brothers
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