I love singing old hymns, choruses and gospel songs (sadly my voice is thin and raspy!). This site is all about singing of course...
However being born again in 1984, today's hottest topics do intrigue me...
The Last Days. GOD. The other gods. The Singularity. The Middle East. The Lion of the Tribe of Judah. Giants. Israel. The Rapture. BCI. Mythology. AI.
All mainstream discussion today.
Yet so much 'weird stuff' is exploding so fast now it's scary to many people.
Which is why...
I send out a weekly 'Saturday Reflections' letter to inspire faith and counteract fear.
After all... by knowing the LORD, we are rooted and grounded in God's love. And God is love. (1 John 4:8) And perfect love drives out fear. (1 John 4:18)
Therefore...
As we see Bible prophecy coming to pass and days darken, the LORD always wants to reassure us of His love and give us His peace. His peace protects us...
"Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble." (Psalm 119:165)
Reflecting on God's love in His fortress of peace also helps us process stressful news wisely without over-reacting or social media upsetting us.
Lastly Jesus also said...
"Be wise as serpents, as innocent as doves" (Matthew 10:16)
That's key too.
I hope you enjoy 'Saturday Reflections' and that it leaves you calmer, wiser and stronger.
Sing a couple of psalms, hymns or choruses to start with, maybe you end up happier! Though... don't take my word for it, see the peer-reviewed studies below :)
Have a look.
Singing...
Lowers stress boosts immunity: A Royal College of Music 2016 study tracked the saliva of choristers, finding significant reductions in cortisol and increases in cytokines (Fancourt et al., 2016).
Increases endorphin and social bonding: These 2015 studies demonstrated group singing elevates pain thresholds (helping release endorphins) and modulates oxytocin to create rapid social cohesion (Pearce et al., 2015; Keeler et al., 2015).
Increases lung capacity and respiratory health: 2021 randomised controlled trial investigated "Singing for Lung Health" as a physical training modality for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, noting its physical and respiratory benefits (Kaasgaard et al., 2021).
Yes, SYH Private community members can share short audio recordings and voice notes inside our private Signal community group. Signal is easy to use — Press a button on your phone. Record what you want to share to bless others...
And your word of wisdom, poem or song gets instantly shared with the SYH community.
Later maybe we host some live 'Rough Diamond' group singing together for SYH community members online! I can't wait — but baby steps first :)
Who is Sing Yourself Happy for?
For the most part, curious open minded older Christians who want to face the future safe in the arms of God who is love, without fear.
Or maybe you're not a believer — Just curious to try a bit of singing or explore exciting Bible subjects among new friends... With reassuring peace.
Our nascent SYH community is an easy way to try singing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, even if you've never sung a note in church before.
(NOTE: This is 100% not for perfect singers! e.g. My singing is ropey at best ;)
In my (clearly biased) opinion, no one is talking about this with enough spiritual clarity or precision yet (especially Christians). And I am quite surprised even AI experts seem to be missing this mysterious 'photizo' aspect completely.
Not you dear SYH reader. You'll know exactly what AI is. Exactly what to do with and without it. And you'll never be afraid of it either. Big promise eh ;)
Dave Alston, with good news for these electrifying Last Days. And raspy singing :)
Fancourt, D., Williamon, A., Carvalho, L. A., Steptoe, A., Dow, R., & Lewis, I. (2016). Singing modulates mood, stress, cortisol, cytokine and neuropeptide activity in cancer patients and carers. ecancermedicalscience, 10. https://doi.org/10.3332/ecancer.2016.631Cited by: 305
Kaasgaard, M., Rasmussen, D. B., Andreasson, K. H., Hilberg, O., Løkke, A., Vuust, P., & Bodtger, U. (2021). Use of Singing for Lung Health as an alternative training modality within pulmonary rehabilitation for COPD: a randomised controlled trial. European Respiratory Journal, 59, 2101142. https://doi.org/10.1183/13993003.01142-2021Cited by: 73
Keeler, J. R., Roth, E. A., Neuser, B. L., Spitsbergen, J. M., Waters, D. J. M., & Vianney, J.-M. (2015). The neurochemistry and social flow of singing: bonding and oxytocin. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2015.00518Cited by: 301
Pearce, E., Launay, J., & Dunbar, R. I. M. (2015). The ice-breaker effect: singing mediates fast social bonding. Royal Society Open Science, 2, 150221. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.150221Cited by: 688
