Category Archives: Stories

Bloom

Posted on November 18, 2022 by Esther Hizsa

I grew up in rural Ontario and attended Wellburn United Church which was part of a three-point charge. I remember the aisle I walked down on my wedding day, the pew where I received my first communion, and where the … Continue reading →

Posted in Mindfulness, Prayer, Reflections, Stories | Tagged Advent, Bishop Michael Curry, Bloom Where You Are Planted, Esther Hizsa, happiness, joy, Joy Summit, SoulStream, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Watching for the Light, Wellburn | Leave a comment

Weather

Posted on November 11, 2022 by Esther Hizsa

I looked out at the vast ocean and up at the big blue sky as Fred and I walked the aptly named Long Beach on the west coast of Vancouver Island. A few minutes later, we stopped to shed another … Continue reading →

Posted in Creation, Mindfulness, Prayer, Reflections, Resource, Stories | Tagged Alan Jones, Esther Hizsa, Father Thomas Keating, Kim Rollins, Long Beach, Pacific Rim National Park, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, The Welcoming Prayer, Uclulelet, Visio Divina, Wild Pacific Trail | Leave a comment

My Goodness

Posted on November 4, 2022 by Esther Hizsa

Of all my fears, the fear that I’m not a good mother tops the list. It came up again in a spiritual direction session after I revealed the latest incriminating evidence and added more tissues to the wet pile on … Continue reading →

Posted in compassion, Reflections | Tagged Esther Hizsa, Ignatian prayer retreat, Jan Evans, Katherine May, Kevin Friery, Mark Dumont, Measuring Up, Mother and baby giraffe, SoulStream, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Wintering, Zephaniah 3:17 | Leave a comment

Just Now

Posted on October 28, 2022 by Esther Hizsa

Did you notice that just now?That unexpected spaciousness in the midst of everything trying to get through the door at once. A delicious “Ahhhh!” A sense that it’s going to be fine. It is fine. You keep thinking you need more days with nothing scheduled, … Continue reading →

Posted in Poetry, Reflections | Tagged A.K., Calm& Chaos, Esther Hizsa, Henri Nouwen, Karen Pascal, Mike Green, Now and Then, Peace be with you., Psalm 65:7, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver | 2 Comments

Make Peace with Your Helplessness

Posted on October 21, 2022 by Esther Hizsa

Make peace with your helplessness. You can’t change the past or control the future. What is is what is. Feel your anger.Watch it rise up and look for someone to blame. Even if it is their fault or yours or God’s, it doesn’t change a thing. You’re still … Continue reading →

Posted in Poetry, Reflections | Tagged 2 Corinthians 8-10, Don Sutherland, Dove of Peace, Esther Hizsa, Flower blooming during sunrise, In Memoriam, Make Peace, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Steve Bell, Viraj Shah | 5 Comments

Turning Toward

Posted on October 14, 2022 by Esther Hizsa

I was the last one to sit down at our table. Our table was in a hall with one hundred and fifty other guests celebrating my niece’s wedding at a YMCA camp at Sturgeon Lake, Minnesota. My place at that … Continue reading →

Posted in Mindfulness, Prayer, Reflections, Stories | Tagged Esther Hizsa, John 14:20, Just like me, Minnesota, Pema Chödrön, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Sylvia Frehner, wedding, Welcoming the Unwelcome | Leave a comment

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

Telling the Truth

Posted on September 30, 2022 by Esther Hizsa

When I first talked about hurtful experiences in my past, the pain of it was so great, it would swallow me whole. Over the years, good friends, counsellors and spiritual directors listened and validated how awful those moments were. Their … Continue reading →

Posted in compassion, Reflections | Tagged Colossians 1:19-20, Esther Hizsa, Maya Angelou, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Still I Rise, Truth and Reconciliation | Leave a comment

Patches of You

Posted on September 23, 2022 by Esther Hizsa

Sometimes— let’s face it, a lot of times–I think I would be happier,if life wasn’t clouded with conflict, unsolved problems,deadlines, tension,and unpleasant feelings. Sometimes life just works.Things fall into place.We have summer days of endless skywith no dark clouds anywhere. … Continue reading →

Posted in compassion, Poetry, Reflections | Tagged Dark Couds, Esther Hizsa, Katherine May, Krista Tippett, Menacing, On Being, Rachel Gardner, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Walt Stoneburner, What is, Wintering | 2 Comments

Smug Mode

Posted on September 16, 2022 by Esther Hizsa

So we got to climb one more mountain after all. And not just any mountain–Black Tusk. Bagging this peak is not just a walk in the (Garibaldi) Park. You have to backpack 9.5 kilometres and up 900 metres to a … Continue reading →