CHANCEY: Looking forward to the greatest affirmation ever

Published 10:16 am Tuesday, August 5, 2025

Marching band was a big deal when I was in high school. While still just a novice clarinet player, I looked forward to the day when I would join the Band of the Braves. 

The high school band practiced on Thursday nights polishing up their halftime show. My family lived about two miles from the football field, and I often heard the crisp cadence of the drums and the deep sounds of the tubas as they floated across the fall sky.  

When I reached high school and began marching, for me the football game was about the halftime show. I mean, didn’t people tolerate the first half just to get to the “battle of the bands?” That was the real Friday night action. We would try to outplay, out-march and out-spirit the visiting band. And we usually did, or so we thought!

When we proudly marched off the field after presenting our show, our band director would greet us with a big smile and say as only he could, “ya’ dun good!”  

I knew he wasn’t grammatically correct, but it was his way of saying we did a great job. He always complimented and encouraged us.

Affirmation is important. Several years ago, a church member passed along “100 Ways to Say ‘Very Good!’” Let me list a few our educators may want to share with students this year:

—Good for you!

—Super!

—You did that very well!

—You’ve got it!

—Terrific!

—Right on the mark!

—You haven’t missed a thing!

—Marvelous!

—You’re doing fine!

—You’re really making progress!

—Outstanding!

—I knew you could do it!

—Good work!

—You surely figured it out fast!

—I think you’ve got it!

—Well, look at you go!

—Tremendous!

—Perfect!

—Nice going!

—Wonderful!

—You made it look easy!

—That’s an excellent job.

—Super!

—Keep it up!

—You’ve got it!

—Exactly right!

—What a great idea!

—That’s great!

—Way to go!

—What an improvement!

—That’s it!

—Fabulous!

—Go for it!

—I’m so proud of you!

—Keep it up!

—Nothing can stop you now!

—You are so good at that!

—I like to see you trying so hard!

—You really make this fun!

—That’s what I call a fine job!

—You did that better than ever!

“Ya’ dun good!” didn’t make her list of “100 Ways to say “Very Good!” but I’ll never forget it. In fact, I’ve used it a few times myself.  

One day, I look forward to the greatest affirmation ever, which will come from Jesus when we face Him and He says, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful . . .” (Matthew 25:23).  

That’s the best version of “very good” we could ever expect to hear.

—Milledgeville native David L. Chancey lives in Fayetteville, Georgia, and serves as Transitional Pastor at Eagles Landing at Griffin, Griffin, Georgia. He enjoys preaching, writing, and time with family. Visit www.davidchancey.com to see more of his writings.