Tag Archives: Nan C. Merrill

My Second Podcast Interview

Posted on March 24, 2023 by Esther Hizsa

In this Hints of Gladness podcast, Rod Janz asks me about my new book In the Heart of the Beloved and the Everyday Pilgrim series. It was a fun conversation. I hope you enjoy listening to it. CLICK HERE TO … Continue reading →

Posted in In the Heart of the Beloved, Reflections, Seed Cracked Open | Tagged Cale Woodley, Esther Hizsa, Hints of Gladness, In the Heart of the Beloved, Nan C. Merrill, Psalm 23:6, Psalms for Praying, Rod Janz, Seed Cracked Open, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Stories of an Everyday Pilgriem, Time | Leave a comment

What I Heard Before Falling Asleep

Posted on March 17, 2023 by Esther Hizsa

On the daymy sister ended a Zoom callwith a heartfelt “I love you,” a directee dried her eyes and said, “Thank you,” the warm embrace of a friendstill lingered in my body, the rain stopped long enoughfor me to go … Continue reading →

Posted in Lent, Poetry, Prayer, Reflections | Tagged Esther Hizsa, I'll be sittin' when the evenin' comes, Joachim Dobler, lent, Lenten Prayer Practice, Nan C. Merrill, Psalm 23:5, Psalms for Praying, Red squirrel, Robert Taylor, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver | 1 Comment

In the Heart of the Beloved

Posted on May 20, 2022 by Esther Hizsa

When readers open my new book, I invite them to open it up and flip it over. In the introduction, I wrote: Look at the whole cover. Take in the beauty of the image: vibrant pink, glowing edges, green stem, … Continue reading →

Posted in In the Heart of the Beloved, Poetry, Reflections, Stories, Writing | Tagged Esther Hizsa, In the Heart of the Beloved, Nan C. Merrill, Psalm 23, Psalms for Praying, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Stories of an Everyday Pilgrim Volume 3, Sylvia Sassen | Leave a comment

Release, Receive and Return

Posted on May 6, 2022 by Esther Hizsa

For days after I heard how my words wounded another, I was visited with the recurring judgment that I was a bad person, an unsafe person. I was shrouded in shame until God found me through a Lenten reflection on … Continue reading →

Posted in Easter, False Self, Poetry, Reflections, Stories | Tagged Esther Hizsa, Living from the Heart, Nan C. Merrill, Psalm 23:3, Richard Bott, Rivendell Labyrinth, SoulStream, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver | 2 Comments

It’s Your Turn

Posted on February 25, 2022 by Esther Hizsa

For the past few months, I’ve been revising blog posts for my third book. I’ve hunkered down to do the grunt work of publishing: formatting, footnoting, acquiring permission from a photographer and poets, and designing the cover. I used to … Continue reading →

Posted in In the Heart of the Beloved, Reflections, Stories, Writing | Tagged Esther Hizsa, Let there be light, Nan C. Merrill, Psalm 23:6, Psalms for Praying, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Sylvia Sassen | Leave a comment

Becoming a Loving Presence in the World

Posted on August 14, 2020 by Esther Hizsa

May I live with integrity as a loving presence in the world. –Nan C. Merrill, Psalms for Praying, An Invitation to Wholeness, Psalm 10. Prayers come and go for me, but these simple words by Nan Merrill have stayed with … Continue reading →

Posted in Creation, Reflections, Stories | Tagged Brooke Hoyer, Capital Regional District, CRD, Esther Hizsa, Frank Ostaseski, Galloping Goose.. E&N, Integrity, Lochside, Louise Docker, Love Heart, loving presence, Martin Luther King Jr, Nan C. Merrill, Setting The Free, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, The Five Invitations | 2 Comments

Staying the Course

Posted on July 17, 2020 by Esther Hizsa

It’s been almost three months since my convergence, and I can feel the difference. I fit into clothes I haven’t worn in years and can now bike up Burnaby Mountain and down again in just under an hour. But the … Continue reading →

Posted in Overeating, Prayer, Reflections, Stories | Tagged Chickpea curry, Esther Hizsa, Ignatius of Loyola, Nan C. Merrill, Psalm 10:12, Psalms for Praying, Rule of Life, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Stocksnap, Wallpaper Flare, Yoga with Adriene | 4 Comments

Fear and Grace

Posted on July 3, 2020 by Esther Hizsa

As soon as we gathered on the screen, I felt nervous. Insecurity jumbled my words and hid others. The twelve faces in front of me belonged to the facilitators of Living from the Heart, and I was in charge of … Continue reading →

Posted in compassion, Reflections, Stories | Tagged Black Lives Matter, Dr. Tiffany Jana, Esther Hizsa, Jessie Wilcox Smith, Measuring Up, Nan C. Merrill, Psalm 7:1-2, Psalms for Praying, racism, Sounds True, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, TMI, woodleywonderworks | Leave a comment

Stepping into This Moment

Posted on June 19, 2020 by Esther Hizsa

To live mindfully in the present, I have to slow down and take deliberate steps. First, there is an awakening to this moment and noticing what is in it and me–what I see, feel, and think. I observe myself and … Continue reading →

Posted in Mindfulness, Reflections | Tagged Embers: One Ojibway's Meditations, Esther Hizsa, hand in Wild Grass, Jonathan Emmanuel Flores Tarello, lloyd Morgan, Nan C. Merrill, Psalm 23, Psalms for Praying, Richard Wagamese, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Walkers!!! Ruun!!! | Leave a comment

Snow Days

Posted on January 17, 2020 by Esther Hizsa

“Why don’t we wait until the snow melts and see if your wallet is there,” our daughter said, looking at a snow-covered patch of grass we couldn’t shovel. “I’ll keep an eye on it. No one’s going to find it … Continue reading →