Category Archives: Stories

Having Tea with My Rage

Posted on April 12, 2019 by Esther Hizsa

I knew I needed to forgive, so my friend loaned me the book Women Who Run With the Wolves. I turned to the chapter on forgiveness. Near the end of it, Clarissa Pinkola Estés outlines the stages of forgiveness. But before I … Continue reading →

Posted in Childhood, Lent, Reflections, Stories | Tagged Bentley Tea Cup, Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Esther Hizsa, forgiveness, Galatians 5:1, rage, reconciliation, snap713, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Welcoming Prayer, Women Who Run With the Wolves | 2 Comments

A Holy Place

Posted on April 5, 2019 by Esther Hizsa

Of course I told my spiritual director what happened, and she listened compassionately as I talked and cried. She asked me to name my feelings and notice how they felt in my body. I told her that I felt betrayed, … Continue reading →

Posted in Ignatian Spirituality, Lent, Poverty of Spirit, Prayer, Reflections, Songs, Stories | Tagged betrayal, Bowen Island, Contemplative Outreach, Esther Hizsa, forgiveness, Ignatian Sprititual Exercises, Nadia Bolz-Weber, Nan C. Merrill, Psalm 18:16, rejection, Scott Erickson, spiritual director, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, The Light of Failure, Welcoming Prayer | Leave a comment

A Punch in the Gut

Posted on March 29, 2019 by Esther Hizsa

Sometimes self-awareness bubbles up gently and slowly expands to softly widen our world view and make more room for love to flow in and out of our hearts. Sometimes self-awareness comes like a punch in the gut. I know this. … Continue reading →

Posted in Easter, Lent, Poverty of Spirit, Prayer, Reflections, Songs, Stories | Tagged 1 Corinthians 13: 12-13, awareness, Bowen Island, Coco Love Alcorn, collage, Curator of Awesomeness, Esther Hizsa, Lectio Divina, Living from the Heart, Mark 8:22-25, Mary Wolfe, Matthew 5:43-44, Psalm 110, retreat, Scott Erickson, spiritual director, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, The Light of Failure, The River | 9 Comments

How God Waits

Posted on March 22, 2019 by Esther Hizsa

On Monday I participated in a one-day silent prayer retreat with friends using last week’s post as our guide. I listened to Steve Bell sing Lenten Lands and a feeling of hope rose up in me. God has turned the … Continue reading →

Posted in Lent, Mystical, Prayer, Reflections, Songs, Stories | Tagged Christchurch, Coco Love Alcorn, collage, Esther Hizsa, Isaiash 30:15-18, Lenten Lands, Malcolm Guite, New Zealand, prayer retreat, Ruth Monette, shootings, spiritual director, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Steve Bell, The River | 2 Comments

DIY Prayer Retreat #13: A Lenten Retreat

Posted on March 15, 2019 by Esther Hizsa

Here is a Lenten retreat outline that came out a contemplative evening I facilitated at Tenth Church last week. The Lectio guide is adapted from Living from the Heart and used with permission from SoulStream. For this retreat, it is … Continue reading →

Posted in Ignatian Spirituality, Lent, Prayer, Prayer Retreat Outline, Reflections, Stories | Tagged Benjamin Balázs, consolation, David G.Benner, desolation, Esther Hizsa, Eternal Echoes: Celtic Reflections on Our Yearning to Belong, Eurasian blue tit, Green Valley, Ignatius of Loyola, Invitation to a Journey, Isaiah 30:15-18, John O'Donohue, Lamentations 3:22-23, Lectio Divina, lent, Lenten Lands, Living from the Heart, Malcolm Guite, Opening to God: Lectio Divina and Life as Prayer, Pisut Konepun, Prodigal Son, Robert Mulholland, SoulStram, spiritual director, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Steve Bell, Tenth Church, waiting | 2 Comments

Ashes to Ashes

Posted on March 8, 2019 by Esther Hizsa

“You are from dust and to dust you shall return,” Pastor Ruth says as she dips her thumb in the ashes and makes the sign of the cross on my forehead. Soon we will be scattering my nephew Lee’s ashes. … Continue reading →

Posted in Homelessness, Lent, Reflections, Stories | Tagged Ash Wednesday, Ashes, Ecclesiastes 3:20., Esther Hizsa, fentanyl, Jack Kerouac, John O'Donahue, Mark 10:17-27, meditation, spiritual director, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver | 17 Comments

Making Peace with My Addictions

Posted on March 1, 2019 by Esther Hizsa

Dan Harris, a co-anchor for Good Morning America, got his studio audience to meditate for sixty seconds. Some amazing love mischief, eh? Many people try meditating but give up because they can’t stop the distractions. Harris explains that we don’t … Continue reading →

Posted in Mindfulness, Overeating, Prayer, Reflections, Stories | Tagged 10% Happier, addictions, centering prayer, Cynthia Bourgeault, Dan Harris, Esther Hizsa, Father Thomas Keating, Isaiah 30:15, meditation, Open Mind Open Heart, Overeating, spiritual director, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver | 2 Comments

I Crashed the Door

Posted on February 22, 2019 by Esther Hizsa

Monday night I was in a conundrum. Tuesday mornings I set aside time to write my blog post, and I didn’t know what I would write about. I knew what I didn’t want to write about. I didn’t want to … Continue reading →

Posted in Ignatian Spirituality, Reflections, Stories | Tagged chamber of love, chany crystal, Dances of Universal Peace, Esther Hizsa, Luke 11:9, Narnia, Rowan Saunders, Rumi, spiritual director, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, XeLflick | 7 Comments

Truth and Reconciliation

Posted on February 15, 2019 by Esther Hizsa

For an hour and a half last Sunday afternoon, I was not myself. I was an indigenous woman who lived in Canada on Turtle Island (North America) when the settlers first came to our land. My life was short. I … Continue reading →

Posted in Childhood, Creation, Reflections, Stories | Tagged 2 Corinthians 4:7-9, Esther Hizsa, George Erasmus, Isaiah 42: 1, Isaiah 42:3, Kairos Blanket Exercise, Kanaka Bar, Native Norhwest, Sealaska Heritage Stoer, spiritual director, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, T’eqt’aqtn’mux | 1 Comment

Stop! In the Name of Love

Posted on February 8, 2019 by Esther Hizsa

The first thing you have to realize is that what you need to survive is killing you. That’s the tough part. There’s relief after a few big, hard swallows. Everything gets endurable. You can actually convince yourself that things are … Continue reading →