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Category Archives: Reflections
What I Knew Then
I tell my spiritual director about my panic and the memory of being shamed by the principal when I was twelve. “I still see the anger on his face and feel my back against the wall.” I recall that moment and am that … Continue reading →
Posted in Childhood, Praying with the Imagination, Reflections, Spiritual Direction, Stories
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Tagged Esther Hizsa, healing of memories, Missy Caulk, mosque, Psalm 139:13-14, Quebec shooting, Richard Gillard, Servant Song, Shame, spiritual director, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, vigil
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Bruised
“Pull in your horns,” the principal said and scowled at me. He held up two fingers on either side of his head to mimic his words. Suddenly I was not like any other twelve-year-old lined up in the hallway. I … Continue reading →
Posted in Childhood, Reflections, Stories
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Tagged Angel of Healing, Anne Davis, CircaSassy, Esther Hizsa, healing of memories, India7 Network, Mobilus In Mobili, Mother Teresa, scolding, Shame, small things with great love, spiritual director, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Susan Lordi
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Wide and Deep
I finally received my first royalty cheque from Amazon over a year after I published Stories of an Everyday Pilgrim. The amount? One hundred dollars and seventy-five cents. Humbling. I always wanted to write a book. Praying the Ignatian Exercises as … Continue reading →
Posted in Ignatian Spirituality, Reflections, Stories, Stories of an Everyday Pilgrim
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Tagged America magazine, Andrew Garfield, Esther Hizsa, Ignatian Sprititual Exercises, Love and Living, Martin Scorsese, Maxine Hancock, Silence, spiritual director, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Stories of an Everyday Pilgrim, Thomas Merton
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In the Flow
“Have you found a job yet?” I asked “Kyle” (not his real name) who has been sober for three months now. Kyle’s been through treatment and recovery a few times in the past seventeen years and never lasted more than six … Continue reading →
Posted in Poverty of Spirit, Reflections, Stories
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Tagged addiction, at dead man's chest, Esther Hizsa, Everything Belongs, Ken Ryan, King of Kensington, Nadya Peek, Peter Castleton, push the river, Richard Rohr, river neath waterfall, Shirley Hatch, sobriety, spiritual director, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver
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Choosing Life
In the past month, I’ve had conversations with a number of people addicted to alcohol and drugs who are now sober. One day at a time, they are rebuilding their bodies, their lives and their relationships. Each one–whether they’ve been sober for weeks or … Continue reading →
Posted in Overeating, Reflections, Stories, Wednesday Lunch Club
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Tagged Carlo Scherer, drops, Esther Hizsa, Joshua 24:15, Last Day, Rachel Titiriga, Richard Rohr, spiritual director, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, The Divine Dance, The Shack, Tylerwardis, William Paul Young
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2 Comments
Christmas Spent
I didn’t intend to have an unsentimental Christmas. It just turned out that way. I enjoyed gatherings with friends and family, giving gifts of homemade granola, and watching A Charlie Brown Christmas again. But the tinsel and romance of the season left me … Continue reading →
From Weakness to Weakness
There is a dog in Loyola House that soothes the aching soul. Perhaps you’ve heard of the “balm in Gilead that makes the wounded whole”? Apparently someone at Loyola House in Guelph, Ontario has a dog who does the same thing. People who go there for … Continue reading →
Weakness: The Heart of Belonging
My old friend, Insecurity, showed up again when I attended a two-day SoulStream board meeting. Even though I was among people who are open, accepting, and kind, I felt uneasy. Someone mentioned a book I hadn’t read or music I hadn’t … Continue reading →
Posted in Advent, Christmas, Poverty of Spirit, Reflections, Stories
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Tagged 2 Corinthians 12:9, Aimee Ray, belonging, Dolly Rainbow, Doug Schroeder, Esther Hizsa, God was weak, Hugo van der Goes, needy, SoulStream, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, The Adoration of the Shepherds, weakness of God
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The God We Got
God could have come with battle lines drawn, an army of trumpeting archangels, and a legion of patriarchs. But God came in vulnerability, a baby without a home . . . –from “The Arrival” by Ann Siddall Why did God … Continue reading →
Posted in Advent, Christmas, Poverty of Spirit, Reflections, Stories
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Tagged Ann Siddall, Dave & Lorelle, Doug Schroeder, Esther Hizsa, Franz Mayer & Co, God wants to be held, Holding Hands, Luke 11:27-28, Plum leaves, SoulStream, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, The Arrival, The Nativity, weakness of God
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God Became Weak
“O come, o come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel,” we sing. We too “mourn in lowly exile here” until the Son of God appears. We long for God to come in power and right our injustice, heal our ills, dispel our confusion, and … Continue reading →
Posted in Advent, Christmas, Poverty of Spirit, Reflections, Stories
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Tagged Cry of Life, Esther Hizsa, God was weak, Madonna Mary and Baby Jesus, needy, Sander van der Wel, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Waiting for the Word, weakness of God, What Child Is This?
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An Everyday Pilgrim 