Category Archives: Praying with the Imagination

What Is Taken Away

Posted on February 7, 2025 by Esther Hizsa

Whoever has will be given more;whoever does not have,even what they have will be taken from them.–Mark 4:25 (NIV) When I heard this scripture one morning, and thought about our generous God, I didn’t hear the word “even.” I heard, … Continue reading →

Posted in compassion, Poetry, Praying with the Imagination, Reflections, Stories | Tagged A Yellow Crowned Woodpecker, bird in cherry blossom tree, Esther Hizsa, Hari K Patibanda, Ignatian Spiritual Excercises, itoldya test1, John 1:16, Living from the Heart, Mark 4:25, SoulStream, Spiritual Director North Okanagan, Spiritual Director Vernon | Leave a comment

A Circle of Safety

Posted on January 31, 2025 by Esther Hizsa

My worrierworks tirelessly,always watching, bracing for bad news,seeing the possibility of disaster,and pushing the panic button. This fearful guardian has wearied mefor as long as I can remember.But when I discovered,as Dorothy did in The Wizard of Oz,that the one … Continue reading →

Posted in Childhood, compassion, Ignatian Spirituality, Poetry, Praying with the Imagination, Reflections, Stories | Tagged Esther Hizsa, Ignatian Spiritual Excercises, KR Alliance, Living from the Heart, Mouse in a tea cup, Psalm 4:8, SoulStream, Spiritual Director North Okanagan, Spiritual Director Vernon | 2 Comments

My Heart Sings

Posted on January 24, 2025 by Esther Hizsa

The master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, … Continue reading →

Posted in Aging, Christmas, compassion, Poetry, Praying with the Imagination, Reflections, Stories, Stories of an Everyday Pilgrim | Tagged 1 Samuel 1-20, David Robert Bliwa, Esther Hizsa, Happy, Ignatian Spiritual Excercises, Isaiah 43:19, John 2:9-10, Living from the Heart, Luke 1:5-25, Luke 2:22-38, Saint James the Greater Catholic Church, SoulStream, Spiritual Director North Okanagan, Spiritual Director Vernon, Water to wine | Leave a comment

Amnesia

Posted on January 18, 2025 by Esther Hizsa

I sit down to pray disappointed that I didn’t have a better night’s sleep, frustrated that I still can’t get a handle on this. Compassion comes out of hiding,slips in beside me,leans her head on my shoulderand strokes my arm. … Continue reading →

Posted in Aging, compassion, Poetry, Prayer, Praying with the Imagination, Reflections, Stories | Tagged Amnesia, Clint Budd, crom shin, Esther Hizsa, friends, Ignatian Spiritual Excercises, Isaiah 43:2-4, Living from the Heart, Luke 4:16-29, Matthew 28:20, Morning, SoulStream, Spiritual Director North Okanagan, Spiritual Director Vernon | Leave a comment

Crybaby

Posted on January 10, 2025 by Esther Hizsa

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil.–Luke 4:1,2 (NIV) Three mornings in a row,I wake from vivid dreamsof what … Continue reading →

Posted in Childhood, compassion, Ignatian Spirituality, Poetry, Prayer, Praying with the Imagination, Reflections, Stories | Tagged Christian Asuh, Esther Hizsa, Ignatian prayer retreat, Ignatian Spiritual Excercises, Isaiah 40:11, Living from the Heart, Luke 4:14-21, Rivendell Retreat Centre, SoulStream, Spiritual Director North Okanagan, Spiritual Director Vernon | 5 Comments

Here for a While

Posted on December 27, 2024 by Esther Hizsa

So many wondersI treasure in my heart.My soul magnifies the Lord.He has scattered the proud and lifted up the lowly!I still find it hard to believeI was chosen to give birth to God-With-Us.The wonder of wonders I wake up to … Continue reading →

Posted in Christmas, compassion, Poetry, Praying with the Imagination, Reflections | Tagged Christmas, Esther Hizsa, Flight to Egypt, Ignacy Gierdziejewski, Ignatian Spiritual Excercises, James Tissot, Living from the Heart, Meister Eckhart, SoulStream, Spiritual Director North Okanagan, Spiritual Director Vernon, Virgin Mary with Baby Jesus | Leave a comment

My Last Coins

Posted on November 16, 2024 by Esther Hizsa

I hold back, make myself small. Maybe no one will notice, no one will hear the clink of my measly offering. A part of me scoffs,“Why bother?It won’t make a difference to the church.Why not have one last meal?” I finger the coins in … Continue reading →

Posted in community, compassion, Poetry, Poverty of Spirit, Praying with the Imagination, Reflections, Stories | Tagged Esther Hizsa, Ignatian Spiritual Excercises, Living from the Heart, Luke 21 1-4, Prayer of Imagination, Psalm146:9, Rembrandt, Royce Blair, SoulStream, Spiritual Director North Okanagan, Spiritual Director Vernon | 6 Comments

My First Podcast Interview

Posted on October 7, 2022 by Esther Hizsa

On Hints of Gladness, spiritual director and coach Rod Janz interviewed a number of spiritual directors about contemplation. I was thankful to be one of them. In our conversation, Rod asked what contemplation means to me and what it looks … Continue reading →

Posted in Prayer, Praying with the Imagination, Reflections, Resource, Stories, Writing | Tagged Esther Hizsa, Happy smiling child, Hints of Gladness, Jan Evans, Katherine May, Podcast, Rod Janz, SoulStream, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, verkeorg, Wintering | 3 Comments

Are You Coming?

Posted on March 11, 2022 by Esther Hizsa

I loved the look of satisfaction on Jesus’ face. We just fed five thousand men, plus women and children, with one boy’s lunch of bread and fish. The scene continued to unfold in my imagination as I prayed with this … Continue reading →

Posted in compassion, Ignatian Spirituality, Lent, Mindfulness, Mystical, Overeating, Prayer, Praying with the Imagination, Reflections, Stories | Tagged 1 Corinthians 10:5, Esther Hizsa, John 6:1-24, limiting beliefs, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, The Internship | 3 Comments

Joyful Mysteries and Silent Dreams

Posted on November 20, 2020 by Esther Hizsa

“Let there be Esther,” I heard God pronounce, speaking right into my life-long struggle to exist. During the Ignatian prayer retreat I was leading last week, I had a chance to pray with one of my “joyful mysteries.” As I … Continue reading →