Category Archives: Stories

Choosing to Love My Body

Posted on November 23, 2018 by Esther Hizsa

“Love is a choice,” a directee said to me last week. I hadn’t heard that declaration in a while and felt a resistance rise up in my chest when she said it. Yet she was relaxed and animated as she … Continue reading →

Posted in Creation, Reflections, Stories, Wednesday Lunch Club | Tagged Angela Clarke, Anni Hunt, Barbara Heller, Bettina Metzkuhn, Blanche Bickerson, Catherine Nicholls, Constance Chapman, Eleanora Hannan, Esther Hizsa, Genesis 1:27, Genesis 1:31, Helen McCrindle, Jennifer Love, Jillian Michaels, Kaija Rautiain, Linda Coe, Michelle Sirois-Silver, Ripped in 30, Ruth Jones, Ruth Scheuing, spiritual direction, spiritual director, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Susan Purney Mark, The Bickersons, Yvonne Stowell | Leave a comment

Loving Myself for God’s Sake

Posted on November 16, 2018 by Esther Hizsa

Am I being greedy? I pushed the question aside, but it kept coming back. Should I really be co-facilitating both offerings of Living from the Heart that will be held in B.C.’s Lower Mainland in 2019? Even though I had … Continue reading →

Posted in Prayer, Reflections | Tagged A Good Day, Backeddy Resort, Bernard of Clairvaux, David Steindl-Rast, Esther Hizsa, Gerald May, Gratefulness, Hugo, Living from the Heart, Love of self for God's sake, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, The Dark Night of the Soul | 1 Comment

Right Where I Am

Posted on November 9, 2018 by Esther Hizsa

I looked at this drawing of an injured bird and felt tender inside. I lingered for a while with that feeling and the sense of being held. Then, in the retreat’s spacious silence, I reflected on a poem by Mary … Continue reading →

Posted in Helpful Images, Poetry, Praying with the Imagination, Reflections, Spiritual Direction, Stories | Tagged Brian Wakelin, Byron O’Donnell, Devotion, Esther Hizsa, He Will Know, Mary Oliver, Olive B. Chan, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Steve Bell, Striped Sparrow, The Beautiful, wounded bird in hands | 1 Comment

Caught One

Posted on November 2, 2018 by Esther Hizsa

I caught a dream. I dreamt I was driving someone else’s car and giving a few friends a ride. We got in and I took off, then traffic slowed down. I applied the brakes but the car didn’t respond as … Continue reading →

Posted in Mindfulness, Reflections, Stories | Tagged bc211, car keys, caring for our bodies, dream catcher, dreams, Esther Hizsa, Joslynn Gallant, Progressive Housing Society, Psalm 32:8, spiritual direction, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Wednesday Lunch Club | 1 Comment

Sardines in the Dark

Posted on October 26, 2018 by Esther Hizsa

Our grandson called out our names in the dark. But there was no answer. The silence confirmed his deduction: his cousin had found our hiding place. He was on his own. Our grandchildren love to play Sardines in the Dark. … Continue reading →

Posted in Childhood, Stories | Tagged environment, Esther Hizsa, God with us, Heidi Braacx, Jeremiah 29:14, Karina Inkster, Sardines in the Dark, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, The Guardian, Vegan Vitality, Vegan Yarn, Veganism | 8 Comments

Shame’s Spell

Posted on October 19, 2018 by Esther Hizsa

Jesus pushes me out of uncomfortable places and pulls me into them. –Steve Garnaas-Holmes I almost said no to co-facilitating Living from the Heart next year because it makes me uncomfortable at times. I’ve told you how it tosses me … Continue reading →

Posted in Childhood, Mindfulness, Reflections, Stories | Tagged Bono, Esther Hizsa, Eugene Peterson, Jessie Wilcox Smith, Living from the Heart, Psalm 18:16-19, Shame, spiritual direction, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Steve Garnaas-Holmes, Who do you say that I am? | 2 Comments

Enliven Us

Posted on October 12, 2018 by Esther Hizsa

Open in me the gates of the kingdom, I prayed before church on Sunday, hoping something in the service would enliven me. But God’s still, small enlivening was not in a hymn, the sermon or Eucharist as much as it … Continue reading →

Posted in Creation, Ignatian Spirituality, Prayer, Reflections, Spiritual Direction | Tagged Esther Hizsa, Fred Hizsa, from Love of Love for Love, Galatians 6:2, Grade Two kids, Jacqueline Bergen, Joe Crawford, keys, Principle and Foundation, spiritual direction, spiritual director, spiritual director Burnaby, Sr.Marie Schwan, Steve Imbach, Thomas Green | 4 Comments

This Is My Prayer

Posted on October 5, 2018 by Esther Hizsa

The kingdom of God is justice and peace and joy through the Holy Spirit Come, Lord, and open in us the gates of your kingdom. —Taizé Community Notice it’s not “open to us” but “open in us.” The gate is in … Continue reading →

Posted in Ignatian Spirituality, Poverty of Spirit, Prayer, Reflections | Tagged Esther Hizsa, Jeff Imbach, kingdom of God, Living from the Heart, Mario, Michael D. O'Brien, Pray as you go, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Taizé, The Open Gate | 1 Comment

Sometimes I Don’t Care

Posted on September 28, 2018 by Esther Hizsa

Sometimes I don’t care and I don’t care that I don’t care. I’m tired of feeling guilty for my lack of compassion for eating too much for not trying to be more Christlike and I don’t want to figure out … Continue reading →

Posted in Poetry, Poverty of Spirit, Reflections | Tagged Brian Stiller, clay pots, Esther Hizsa, gangs, Greg Boyle S.J., Healing trauma, Henri Nouwen, Homeboy Industries, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver | 2 Comments

Living from the Heart

Posted on September 21, 2018 by Esther Hizsa

Today a new cohort will gather at Rivendell Retreat Centre on Bowen Island to begin the Living from the Heart course. I’ll be there too, co-facilitating with Deb, Jeff, and Brent. I expect the participants will be excited and a … Continue reading →