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.
Instead of the usual Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love, I have chosen different words for each week in Advent this year. A few weeks ago Fred and I had a Groupon for a restaurant in the Vancouver’s West End. We … Continue reading →
Posted in Advent, Reflections, Stories
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Tagged Alfred DePew, Daniel Ladinsky, Davie Street, Esther Hizsa, Hafiz, Jeff Hitchcock, Odalisque, spiritual direction, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Susanne Nilsson, With that Moon Language, Yearning
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What if we found new words for our Advent candle-lighting wreaths this year? Instead of the traditional Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love, what words would you choose to mark each week in this season of waiting? Two words jump out at … Continue reading →
Posted in Advent, Aging, Reflections
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Tagged Advent, anoldent, Esther Hizsa, First Sunday in Advent, Jan L. Richardson, Night Visions: Searching the Shadows of Advent and Christmas, spiritual direction, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Susanne Nilsson
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“Love is a choice,” a directee said to me last week. I hadn’t heard that declaration in a while and felt a resistance rise up in my chest when she said it. Yet she was relaxed and animated as she … Continue reading →
Posted in Creation, Reflections, Stories, Wednesday Lunch Club
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Tagged Angela Clarke, Anni Hunt, Barbara Heller, Bettina Metzkuhn, Blanche Bickerson, Catherine Nicholls, Constance Chapman, Eleanora Hannan, Esther Hizsa, Genesis 1:27, Genesis 1:31, Helen McCrindle, Jennifer Love, Jillian Michaels, Kaija Rautiain, Linda Coe, Michelle Sirois-Silver, Ripped in 30, Ruth Jones, Ruth Scheuing, spiritual direction, spiritual director, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Susan Purney Mark, The Bickersons, Yvonne Stowell
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Am I being greedy? I pushed the question aside, but it kept coming back. Should I really be co-facilitating both offerings of Living from the Heart that will be held in B.C.’s Lower Mainland in 2019? Even though I had … Continue reading →
Posted in Prayer, Reflections
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Tagged A Good Day, Backeddy Resort, Bernard of Clairvaux, David Steindl-Rast, Esther Hizsa, Gerald May, Gratefulness, Hugo, Living from the Heart, Love of self for God's sake, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, The Dark Night of the Soul
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I looked at this drawing of an injured bird and felt tender inside. I lingered for a while with that feeling and the sense of being held. Then, in the retreat’s spacious silence, I reflected on a poem by Mary … Continue reading →
Posted in Helpful Images, Poetry, Praying with the Imagination, Reflections, Spiritual Direction, Stories
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Tagged Brian Wakelin, Byron O’Donnell, Devotion, Esther Hizsa, He Will Know, Mary Oliver, Olive B. Chan, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Steve Bell, Striped Sparrow, The Beautiful, wounded bird in hands
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I caught a dream. I dreamt I was driving someone else’s car and giving a few friends a ride. We got in and I took off, then traffic slowed down. I applied the brakes but the car didn’t respond as … Continue reading →
Posted in Mindfulness, Reflections, Stories
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Tagged bc211, car keys, caring for our bodies, dream catcher, dreams, Esther Hizsa, Joslynn Gallant, Progressive Housing Society, Psalm 32:8, spiritual direction, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Wednesday Lunch Club
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Our grandson called out our names in the dark. But there was no answer. The silence confirmed his deduction: his cousin had found our hiding place. He was on his own. Our grandchildren love to play Sardines in the Dark. … Continue reading →
Posted in Childhood, Stories
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Tagged environment, Esther Hizsa, God with us, Heidi Braacx, Jeremiah 29:14, Karina Inkster, Sardines in the Dark, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, The Guardian, Vegan Vitality, Vegan Yarn, Veganism
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Jesus pushes me out of uncomfortable places and pulls me into them. –Steve Garnaas-Holmes I almost said no to co-facilitating Living from the Heart next year because it makes me uncomfortable at times. I’ve told you how it tosses me … Continue reading →
Posted in Childhood, Mindfulness, Reflections, Stories
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Tagged Bono, Esther Hizsa, Eugene Peterson, Jessie Wilcox Smith, Living from the Heart, Psalm 18:16-19, Shame, spiritual direction, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Steve Garnaas-Holmes, Who do you say that I am?
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Open in me the gates of the kingdom, I prayed before church on Sunday, hoping something in the service would enliven me. But God’s still, small enlivening was not in a hymn, the sermon or Eucharist as much as it … Continue reading →
Posted in Creation, Ignatian Spirituality, Prayer, Reflections, Spiritual Direction
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Tagged Esther Hizsa, Fred Hizsa, from Love of Love for Love, Galatians 6:2, Grade Two kids, Jacqueline Bergen, Joe Crawford, keys, Principle and Foundation, spiritual direction, spiritual director, spiritual director Burnaby, Sr.Marie Schwan, Steve Imbach, Thomas Green
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The kingdom of God is justice and peace and joy through the Holy Spirit Come, Lord, and open in us the gates of your kingdom. —Taizé Community Notice it’s not “open to us” but “open in us.” The gate is in … Continue reading →
Posted in Ignatian Spirituality, Poverty of Spirit, Prayer, Reflections
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Tagged Esther Hizsa, Jeff Imbach, kingdom of God, Living from the Heart, Mario, Michael D. O'Brien, Pray as you go, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Taizé, The Open Gate
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