Category Archives: Stories

God Let Me Drift

Posted on April 3, 2020 by Esther Hizsa

At 8:55 am, I clicked on the link to the Zoom gathering of SoulStream‘s Leadership Team. I like to be early so I can greet each person as they arrive. I was feeling unusually peaceful. I’d given myself enough time … Continue reading →

Posted in Lent, Mindfulness, Reflections, Songs | Tagged Accent Inns, Adrift, Chris Mann, Esther Hizsa, Feather 2, Hello, Jim Champion, Leanne O'Sullivan, Leaving Early, Matthew 11:28, My Corona, Pádraig Ó Tuama, Poetry Unbound, Scott Wylie, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Thank U Frontline, United Way | 2 Comments

A Meditation for These Uncertain Times

Posted on March 27, 2020 by Esther Hizsa

Pause with me. Take a deep breath and let it out slowly. Then take another. Continue to breathe slowly and deeply. Notice where your body feels tense and send your next breath there . . . to your shoulders, neck, … Continue reading →

Posted in compassion, Lent, Mindfulness, Prayer, Reflections, Resource | Tagged Adriene Mishler, anjan58, Artotem, Blue Skies of Scottsdale, Christine Valters Paintner, coracle, David Wise, Dru Bloomfield, Esther Hizsa, Giving Hands, It is well with my soul, Lamentations 3:22-23, Mike Prince, Nashville Cell Phone Choir, Parker J. Palmer, Pema Chodron, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, uncertainty | 1 Comment

Covid-19

Posted on March 20, 2020 by Esther Hizsa

How are you doing in the midst of this world-wide pandemic? Finding a new normal eludes us daily. We all are all experiencing losses of one kind or another. It’s surreal. My days have been occupied by Zoom meetings and … Continue reading →

Posted in Lent, Prayer, Reflections, Stories | Tagged Albert Anker, Christine Valters Paintner, Covid 19, Esther Hizsa, Melissa Hillier, Metropolitan Opera, Prachatai, Sleeping girl, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Steve Bell, Zoom | 2 Comments

Even When

Posted on March 13, 2020 by Esther Hizsa

I’m here as promised. I have lots of time but nothing I want to write about. I’m waiting, listening, remembering that You always come through. We’ve done three hundred and ninety-five blog posts together, and You’ve never let me down. … Continue reading →

Posted in Lent, Poverty of Spirit, Prayer, Reflections, Writing | Tagged Covid 19, Denis Fournier, Doug Greenberg, Eastern Phoebe, Esther Hizsa, Into the Silent Land, Marco Verch, Martin Laird, persevere, Richard Rohr, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, The Universal Christ | Leave a comment

Being Counted

Posted on March 6, 2020 by Esther Hizsa

“I talked to a nurse practitioner about my gastric reflux,” I said to my spiritual director. “I changed my diet, don’t eat after supper and raised the head of our bed. And that’s not all I’ve been doing to care … Continue reading →

Posted in community, compassion, Ignatian Spirituality, Lent, Mindfulness, Mystical, Reflections, Spiritual Direction, Stories, Stories of an Everyday Pilgrim | Tagged Être homme, body, c'est précisément être responsable, Community meal, Esther Hizsa, Five Contemplations, Ignatian Spirituality, Ignatian Sprititual Exercises, Jean-François Millet, Millet, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, St. Stephen the Martyr Anglican Church, The Potato Planters, Thich Nhat Hanh, Vassilis Londos, vegan | 4 Comments

I Am Both

Posted on February 28, 2020 by Esther Hizsa

It’s Ash Wednesday. Tonight our priest will press her thumb into ashes and impose the truth of our mortality on my forehead. “Ashes to ashes, dust to dust,” Pastor Ruth will say. When I think about it, fear kicks in … Continue reading →

Posted in Lent, Poetry, Reflections | Tagged Ash Wednesday, Dust and breath, Esther Hizsa, Genesis 2:7, Genesis 3:19, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Steve Garnaas-Holmes | 2 Comments

The Cave

Posted on February 21, 2020 by Esther Hizsa

Pain. Sharp, deep and relentless. That’s what I feel when I’ve been treated unfairly. I keep wondering why they did that to me? I can imagine that it’s hard for them to admit they made a mistake. If I confronted … Continue reading →

Posted in compassion, False Self, Poverty of Spirit, Reflections, Spiritual Direction | Tagged Ben Sutherland, Cynthia Bourgeault, Esther Hizsa, forgiveness, Hurt, Josefina de Vasconcellos, Pema Chodron, PierreKarl Schnyder, reconciliation, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Tonglen, William Paul Young | 2 Comments

Forgiveness

Posted on February 14, 2020 by Esther Hizsa

“I’m so sorry!” I said to my Christmas cactus when I brought it home from my book launch in November. I wanted to brighten the room by putting some flowers on a table behind me when I was being interviewed. … Continue reading →

Posted in compassion, Reflections, Seed Cracked Open, Spiritual Direction, Stories | Tagged Christmas Cactus, Esther Hizsa, forgiveness, Maya Angelou, Revolutionary Love, Schlumbergera, spablab, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Valarie Kaur | Leave a comment

What My Heart Wanted to Hear

Posted on February 7, 2020 by Esther Hizsa

A friend asked if I had written any poems about loneliness. I hadn’t. Then I listened to Brad Aaron Modlin’s poem “What You Missed That Day You Were Absent from Fourth Grade” and Pádraig Ó Tuama talk about it. … Continue reading →

Posted in Childhood, compassion, Poetry, Reflections | Tagged Alice Popkorn, Brad Aaron Modlin, Daniel Ladinsky, Esther Hizsa, Hafiz, Loneliness, Lonely Leaf, Love Poems from God, Mrs Nelson, On Being, Pádraig Ó Tuama, Poetry Unbound, Rob, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, What You Missed That Day You Were Absent from Fourth Grade, With that Moon Language | Leave a comment

What Is Your Focus?

Posted on January 31, 2020 by Esther Hizsa

Where attention goes, energy flows. Day 23 of Home, a 30-day yoga journey with Adriene. The theme for today is focus. We return to rest after a challenging pose that has stretched us. Adriene asks, “Where in your body is … Continue reading →