Author Archives: Esther Hizsa

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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.

Fire!

Posted on January 2, 2015 by Esther Hizsa

“There’s a fire. A woman’s screaming for help,” my husband said and ran out the door. I followed Fred across the lawn to the townhouse building next to ours. Smoke billowed out the front door of an upstairs unit. Someone was calling … Continue reading →

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Uninvited Guests

Posted on December 26, 2014 by Esther Hizsa

On Christmas we entertained family and friends for most of the day. We enjoyed every guest that came. But visitors are not always easy to have around. They may come late, stay too long, or forget what they promised to bring. Inevitably someone will do something that unsettles … Continue reading →

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The Word Became Flesh

Posted on December 24, 2014 by Esther Hizsa

Emmanuel when Jesus came he didn’t sneak in through the back door of poverty selling magic tricks for applause no Jesus came poor entered every day of every life and never left The Word became flesh and blood,     and moved into … Continue reading →

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Encountering God in Our Emotions

Posted on December 19, 2014 by Esther Hizsa

The Christmas season tends to evoke a range of emotion in us. While we express tidings of comfort and joy, we may feel anything but comforted or joyful. It’s good to pay attention to those unsettling feelings and listen to what they are saying. “Why … Continue reading →

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Christ In Me, With Me, For Me

Posted on December 12, 2014 by Esther Hizsa

This Advent God’s been inviting me to live in the reality that Christ is in me, with me, and for me. I noticed, when I undertook a task or wrote a post, that I was not alone. I felt accompanied as I … Continue reading →

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A Wondrous Thought

Posted on December 5, 2014 by Esther Hizsa

After the angel Gabriel’s visit, Mary woke to a new reality. The pondering of her heart emerged on her lips as she washed the dishes and passed by the beggars on her way to fetch more water. “My soul glorifies the Lord,” … Continue reading →

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Waiting

Posted on November 28, 2014 by Esther Hizsa

What if the one you are waiting for never comes? It was only choir practice on a Thursday night at the little United Church a mile away. My friend Edith and I were thirteen years old and proud to be … Continue reading →

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On This Mountain

Posted on November 21, 2014 by Esther Hizsa

Last week I talked about deadlines closing in on me. One of them was SoulStream’s Living from the Heart course. It would be my first time co-facilitating a six-day intensive in spiritual formation, and I wanted to prepare well for it. Shortly before I … Continue reading →

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God Present, as Promised

Posted on November 14, 2014 by Esther Hizsa

During a restless night, I felt like the Israelites again. All the things I have to do were advancing toward me with their sharp spears, while my heels backed into the Red Sea. The cold reality of deadlines lapped at my … Continue reading →

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Eight Weeks to the Promised Land

Posted on November 7, 2014 by Esther Hizsa

Are you wondering how I am doing since the big announcement? (If you didn’t hear the news, I will not be working at New Life Community Church after December 31. You can read more about that here). I too wondered how I would fare in … Continue reading →

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