Why sing? and how will it improve my spirituality or other aspects of my life? Singing strengthens the immune system, according to research by scientists at the University of Frankfurt in Germany, published in the latest edition of the US Journal of Behavioural Medicine. But, singing has so much more benefits. Here are some of the benefits of singing.

1.    Singing is good for you. – Many studies done over a number of years have focused on the health benefits of singing, and the evidence is overwhelming.

• Singing releases endorphins into your system and makes you feel energized and uplifted.  People who sing are healthier than people who don’t.
• Singing gives the lungs a workout,
• Singing tones abdominal and intercostal muscles and the diaphragm, and stimulates circulation.
• Singing makes us breathe more deeply than many forms of strenuous exercise, so we take in more oxygen, improve aerobic capacity and experience a release of muscle tension as well.”  Continue “Why sing??”

My brother and his wife went to a theater production.  We sat in the third row from the from the stage and right in the middle.  We could see everything that was happening on stage.  I looked at the lights and the red curtain in front of me.  It all looked show grant.  I love theaters.  There is always something happening whether it’s behind the stage, center stage or in the audience.  Excitement is all around.  Many people say that life is like a theater and we all are the main actor in our own production that is our lives.  I have no problem with this thought.  So I imagine my life on stage with all the bright lights, beautiful décor, colorful and dramatic costumes.  Continue “My theater”

What makes the sun come up?? Too often I hear how people have lost their faith, not just in humanity and the world but in God. And I get that, I so often feel that I have no faith and that faith is a luxury in this world that so many of us can ill afford. Faced with doom and gloom, corruption, war and poverty around almost every bend, how does one hold on to faith?

But I have faith. Sure I don’t always think so, and I might displace it so often, but I have faith that the sun will come up tomorrow. The chill in the air is a reminder of the coming winter and I have faith that the seasons will change. I have faith that crops will grow, and therefore I will have food.

Continue “What makes the sun come up?”

In the beginning of the year, Rochelle and I agreed to do a race at our local Vaal Mall on Wednesday 18 March.  There were three categories:  five, ten or fifteen kilometres.  I planned to do five kilometres, but as I trained and built up my strength I realised that I would be able to do ten kilometres.

I was very nervous and didn’t know what to expect at such an event.  Rochelle arrived at the last minute, and after we talked, I was assured.  The route of the race was mapped out in five kilometre laps. We ran from the mall around a neighbourhood and back.

Continue “First ten kilometre run”

It is a new week and this week our Happiness HELPS focus is on how can I grow my spirituality through helping others.

So often we get caught up in our everyday doings. We worry about the thing affecting our personal world and by doing so we may not see how we effect the world around us or we are unable to see the good that happen in our lives. Today I want to share with you a video we come across that might just open your eyes to how different our world may be if we just take a moment to help others. Click here for video  

What a way to start a Friday morning. For the past week our theme was to grow spiritually through helping others, but today I saw firsthand how we can improve our own spirituality by helping others. I am sure most of you are familiar with Deon (Read his inspirational story on our blog). Today he once again shared his story with us and how he has grown as a person through helping others achieve their dreams. We can all do something for someone. No matter how small, it has an impact not just on their lives, but on our own. Thank you Deon!!

Please follow our blog to follow Deon on his journey.

May you all have a lovely weekend!

Continue “The best way to start a Friday!”

Last week our topic was focused on how we can grow spiritually through helping others. Well this week we are turning the tables just a little bit, as this week we are focusing on how we can help others grow spiritually.

I have to admit that for me this is a very difficult topic as I always feel so inadequate when it comes to helping others in this regard. So today I am posing the difficult questions to you…

Continue “Helping others grow spiritually”

Miekie is a true athlete.  During his school career he was always  one of the top athletes in the school.  He is always on the lookout for a new sport to practice.  Triathlons and races like the 94.7 is old news to him.

Currently, he participates in ‘warrior races’.  Naturally, he falls in die epic category, which is for the strongest warriors.  The track is only 20 kilometers long, but has obstacles like swinging across a monkey bar, climbing up with a rope over a frame and down again, and dragging tyres around his waist across a field.

On Sunday, I went with him to one of these races.  There was one obstacle called the ‘mud monster’.  It consisted of four mounds of mud with muddy water in between. The challenge was to swim through the mud and climb over the mound.  The volunteers poured more water over the mound, which made it more slippery.  Miekie was fourth and I saw how he struggled to get out of the water over the mounds.  He had to grip into it and pull himself up.  People next to the track gave advice as to where the best position was to get out. Continue “Warrior Race”

Over the past few days I have been wrestling with thoughts of spiritual growth. My biggest obstacle was how I will be able to help someone with their spiritual growth if I myself am not sure how the process works. I need to know the answers, the structure, and what the steps are that I need to take to get me from point A to point B. You see, I would like to believe that I am this happy-go-lucky person, but when it comes to the real issues in life, my type A personality comes dancing onto centre stage.

I am by no means a theologian, but would like to share with you my basic steps of how to grow spiritually and how to help others do the same:

Step 1: Know where you are when it comes to you spirituality

The first step might be the scariest, or at least for me it is. So many people say that they are spiritual but not religious. Now that’s like saying I am hungry, but I don’t need to eat. Spirituality refers to your internal convictions, value system and how you connect with the world around you, where religiosity is our expression (doing) of our spirituality. We all have some sort of belief system and different ways of expressing it, but you need to have that honest conversation with yourself about what your fears are and where you are in your process. Continue “Practise Spiritual Growth”

Practicing three sports is a hassle for me sometimes.  One of them is carrying around the different clothes for each sport.  When I plan to train all three sports in one day, I have to carry around two shopping bags. One of them is for sport equipment and the other for  clothes.

Vista helped me in this matter by sponsoring me with a sports bag!   There is a place for everything.  Each set of clothes has its own compartment and it’s easy to handle!  My bag is always ready and packed for each sport.

Vista also helped with a good pair of running shoes.  When I’m serious about something, I want to do it right. The pair I chose offers comfort and durability and I really enjoy wearing them. Continue “Thank you Vista”