Category Archives: Stories

A New Kind of Happy

Posted on September 14, 2018 by Esther Hizsa

It was raining and the forecast was for rain all week. I wouldn’t have minded if it was a typical week of writing, seeing directees, and going to the Wednesday Lunch Club, but all that was scheduled for the next … Continue reading →

Posted in Homelessness, Mindfulness, Reflections, Stories | Tagged Anne Yungwirth, Esther Hizsa, If you can't beat it, Karen O'Shannacery, Psalm 16:11, Society to End Homelessness, spiritual director, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Splash | 2 Comments

Portage

Posted on September 7, 2018 by Esther Hizsa

“You’re the only one here who isn’t retired,” my brother said to me. I was with two of my siblings and their spouses at my brother’s cottage in Minnesota. They were planning a trip to France next year and welcomed … Continue reading →

Posted in Aging, Poetry, Prayer, Reflections, Stories | Tagged Aging, Canoe, Esther Hizsa, Isaiah 48:6-7, Martin Cathrae, OakleyOriginals, portage, Praying, retirement, Rocky Portage, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Steve Garnaas-Holmes, Stoplog Canoes, Tarah, transitions, Unfolding LIght | Leave a comment

Discovering My True Self

Posted on August 31, 2018 by Esther Hizsa

I know I shouldn’t compare myself with others. There’ll always be someone who is kinder, wiser, and taller than I am. But it’s not so easy to let go of comparisons when it seems like I’m the only one in … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections, Rob Des Cotes | Tagged Birds on a Wire, Esther Hizsa, false self, Immortal Diamond: The Search for the True Self, John O'Donahue, Julie Falk, Mayor Corrigan, Measuring Up, Richard Rohr, Rob Des Cotes, spiritual director, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Tony Robbins, true self, woodleywonderworks | Leave a comment

Waiting for the Eternal

Posted on August 24, 2018 by Esther Hizsa

Soon after my eight-day retreat, I queued up the last five blog posts so they would be published while I was away on vacation. It felt good to know I didn’t need to have another post ready until August 24. … Continue reading →

Posted in Ignatian Spirituality, Prayer, Reflections, Stories | Tagged Alex Rossi, Blues, Brews and BBQs, Esther Hizsa, Foggy Beach, Habitat for Humanity, Harrison Street, jen, Living from the Heart, Mike Maguire, Miss Myra and the Moonshiners, Mt. Olivet Lutheran Church, Prism, Ron Frehner, SoulStream, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver | Leave a comment

A Doorway

Posted on August 17, 2018 by Esther Hizsa

My Eight-Day Retreat: Part 5 Father Roshan picked up on the theme of finding the lost and assigned me the story of Zacchaeus for one of my prayers. I took the despised tax-collector’s place. However, in my story, everyone was … Continue reading →

Posted in Ignatian Spirituality, Mystical, Prayer, Praying with the Imagination, Reflections | Tagged 8 day retreat, Chris Chiu, Divine Union, Eric Magnuson, Esther Hizsa, John 14:20, John 17:20-21, JSAV, SoulStream, spiritual direction, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, St. John of the Cross, Teresa of Avila, The Dark Night of the Soul, The Open Door | 1 Comment

Seeking and Finding the Lost

Posted on August 13, 2018 by Esther Hizsa

My Eight-Day Retreat: Part 4 On Day Five of my eight-day retreat, Father Roshan invited me to pray with a few “Joyful Mysteries.” In the first, I relived a wonderful visit with our now 36-year-old son and his wife. In … Continue reading →

Posted in Ignatian Spirituality, Prayer, Reflections | Tagged 1 John 4:18, Esther Hizsa, Good Samaritan, Luke 10:27-35, Luke 15:11-31, Prodigal Son, Renaud Camus, spiritual direction, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Thomas Hawke, William-Adolphe Bouguereau | 1 Comment

O That You Would Vanquish My Fears

Posted on August 10, 2018 by Esther Hizsa

My Eight-Day Retreat: Part 3 On the fourth day of my eight-day retreat, Father Roshan asked me to pray with three “Sorrowful Mysteries.” The first memory that returned to me was the day our son, who was sixteen at the … Continue reading →

Posted in Ignatian Spirituality, Prayer, Praying with the Imagination, Reflections | Tagged 8-day prayer rereat, Angel of Healing, Anne Davis, Archangel Michael, Esther Hizsa, Guido Reni, Hebrews 13:5, Ignatian prayer retreat, Sorrowful mysteries, spiritual direction, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Susan Lordi | 1 Comment

Don’t Do a Thing

Posted on August 6, 2018 by Esther Hizsa

My Eight-Day Retreat: Part 2 “I don’t enjoy praying for a whole hour,” I admitted to Father Roshan on the third morning of my eight-day retreat. His eyes widened for half a second. But he didn’t question me. He just … Continue reading →

Posted in Ignatian Spirituality, Prayer, Praying with the Imagination, Reflections | Tagged abide, Daniel Ladinsky, Esther Hizsa, God's love, Hafiz, Just Sit There Right Now, Luke 12:22-31, Luke 7:36-50, prayer retreat, spiritual direction, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver | 2 Comments

Encompassed with Love

Posted on August 3, 2018 by Esther Hizsa

Hi fellow pilgrims, In the next five posts, I will share with you some of what I experienced on my eight-day retreat. I will be posting them on Mondays and Fridays from now until August 17. As you begin, I … Continue reading →

Posted in Ignatian Spirituality, Prayer, Reflections | Tagged 8-day prayer rereat, God with us, Ignatian prayer retreat, Isaiah 43:1-3, Nan C. Merrill, Psalm 139, Psalm 23, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver | 1 Comment

God Desires Us

Posted on July 27, 2018 by Esther Hizsa

Today I am on the last day of my eight-day retreat. So I offer you this post from 2015 which illustrates the loving God I am retreating with. “You can’t catch the Macdonald bus here,” a man says to me at … Continue reading →