2026-06-18
Philippians 4:8 NKJV
Marcial Losada is an organizational psychologist who studies the power of positivity. He argues that we need a negative feedback loop to survive. Without midcourse corrections, we mindlessly make the same mistakes. But if you want to thrive, you also need a positive feedback loop. His studies have produced what is known as the Losada ratio: it’s the ratio of positive feedback to negative feedback in a system. It doesn’t matter whether that system is a church, a family, or your workplace, there needs to be at least 2.9 positive feedback’s for every one negative.
So, what’s your ratio as a spouse, a parent, a worker, a friend? Part of the reason for the disparity is that negative feedback tends to carry more weight and last longer, so it has to be counterbalanced. A pretty good rule of thumb is this: dish out three compliments for every complaint. Instead of looking for faults, train yourself to catch people doing things right. And here are a few more things you can do to stay positive.
(1) Memorize and meditate on the promises of God’s Word and anchor yourself to them.
(2) Keep a gratitude journal. It will let you know how blessed and how well-off you are.
(3) Cultivate the habit of sending a heartfelt note to people you appreciate. It’ll only take you two minutes, but you can make someone’s day, or even someone’s year!
(4) Find a way to share “wins” with your family and in your workplace. It has the power to shift the focus and shift the culture. It’ll also anchor you to your kids and to your colleagues in a powerful new way.
Soul food: Eze 43-45; Matt 20:17-28; Ps 139:7-12; Prov 15:28-30
2026-06-17
Jeremia 29:13 NLV
Fanny Crosby, die bekende gesangeskrywer, het gesê dat sy nooit ‘n gesang probeer skryf het sonder om eers in gebed te kniel nie. Aangesien sy ongeveer 8 000 liedere geskryf het, was sy duidelik ‘n vrou van gebed! Geliefde gesange soos ‘Blessed Assurance,’ ‘To God be The Glory’ en ‘I am Thine, O Lord’ is uit tye van gebed gebore. Soos baie kreatiewe mense, was sy dikwels onder druk om sperdatums te haal. Eenkeer het sy probeer om lirieke vir ‘n deuntjie wat deur W.H. Doane gekomponeer is, te skryf. Sy kon blykbaar net nie die woorde vind nie, maar toe onthou dat sy vergeet het om eers te bid. Toe sy van haar knieë af opstaan, het sy – so vinnig as wat haar assistent kon skryf – die woorde vir die beroemde gesang, ‘Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross,’ gedikteer.
‘n Ander keer het sy vyf dollar vir iets spesifieks nodig gehad, maar sy was platsak. Daar was geen tyd om haar bankier te raadpleeg nie, dus het sy eenvoudig vir die geld gebid. Toe haar gebed klaar was, het sy heen en weer in haar kamer begin loop en probeer om in die regte stemming te kom om te skryf. Net op daardie tydstip klop ‘n bewonderaar aan haar deur. Die twee het kortliks gesels en met hul afskeid het die vrou iets in Fanny se hand gedruk. Dit was ‘n vyfdollar-noot! Fanny het op haar knieë geval om God te bedank en direk daarna een van haar bekendste gesange geskryf: ‘All the Way My Saviour Leads Me.’
Die geheim tot Fanny Crosby se sukses is nie ‘n ‘geheim’ nie. Voordat sy enigiets vir God probeer doen het, het sy eers God vir hulp genader. Die woord vir jou vandag is dus – bid daaroor!
Sielskos: Eseg 40:10-42:20; Matt 20:1-16; Ps 139:1-6; Spr 15:25-27
Jeremiah 29:13 NIV
Fanny Crosby, the noted hymn writer, said she never attempted to write a hymn without first kneeling in prayer. Given that she wrote about 8,000 songs, she was obviously a woman of prayer! Beloved hymns such as “Blessed Assurance,” “To God be The Glory,” and “I am Thine, O Lord” were born from times of prayer. But like many creative people, she was often under pressure to meet deadlines. One time she tried to write lyrics for a tune composed by W. H. Doane. She couldn’t seem to find the words, but then she remembered she had forgotten to pray. As she rose from her knees, she dictated – as fast as her assistant could write – the words for the famous hymn, “Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross.”
Another time she had run short of money and needed exactly five dollars for a particular purpose. There was no time to call upon her publishers, so she simply prayed for the money. As she ended her prayer, she began to pace back and forth in her room, trying to get into the mood to write. Just at that time, an admirer called upon her. The two chatted briefly, and in parting, the woman pressed something into her hand. It was a five-dollar bill! Fanny fell to her knees in a prayer of thanksgiving, and upon rising, she wrote one of her most famous hymns, “All the Way My Saviour Leads Me.”
The secret of Fanny Crosby’s success is not a “secret.” Before she attempted anything for God, she first sought God’s help. So, the word for you today is – pray about it!
Soul food: Eze 40:10-42:20; Matt 20:1-16; Ps 139:1-6; Prov 15:25-27
2026-06-16
Handelinge 20:24 AFR83
Voordat hy die leiers van die kerk in Efese vir die laaste keer verlaat het, het Paulus vir hulle gesê: ‘Ek weet dat die Heilige Gees my in elke stad verseker dat gevangenskap en vervolging op my wag. Maar al is my lewe vir my kosbaar, reken ek dit van geen belang nie as ek maar net my lewenstaak kan voltooi en die dienswerk wat ek van die Here Jesus gekry het, kan klaar maak: dit is om die evangelie van God se genade te verkondig’ (verse 23-24 AFR83).
Daar is twee maniere om ‘n probleem te hanteer: 1) Bid en glo dat God dit sal verwyder, soos Hy met die mure van Jerigo gedoen het. 2) Ontgroei die probleem.
In die 1920’s het ‘n Engelse avonturier genaamd Mallory ‘n ekspedisie om Mount Everest te probeer verower, gelei. Sy eerste twee pogings het misluk. Met sy derde poging is hy en die meeste van sy span in ‘n sneeustorting uitgewis. Met hul terugkeer na Engeland het die paar wat oorleef het, ‘n banket gehou om Mallory en diegene wat omgekom het, te vereer.
Die leier van die oorlewendes het tydens sy bedankingstoespraak sy rug op die skare gedraai en na ‘n groot prentjie van Mount Everest teen die muur, wat soos ‘n stil, onoortreflike reus bo hom uitgetroon het, gekyk. Met trane wat oor sy gesig stroom, het hy namens sy oorlede vriende met die berg gepraat: ‘Ek spreek tot jou, Mount Everest, in die naam van alle dapper mans en vroue wat leef en dié wat nog gebore moet word. Mount Everest, jy het ons een keer verslaan; jy het ons twee keer verslaan; jy het ons drie keer verslaan. Ons sal jou egter eendag verslaan, want jy kan nie groter word nie – maar ons kan.’
Sielskos: Eseg 37:1-40:9; Matt 19:15-30; Ps 73:17-28; Spr 15:22-24
Acts 20:24 NKJV
Before leaving the leaders of the church at Ephesus for the last time, Paul told them: “The Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me. But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy” (vv. 23-24 NKJV).
There are two ways to deal with a problem: (1) Pray and believe God to remove it, like He did with the walls of Jericho. (2) Outgrow the problem.
In the 1920s, an English adventurer named Mallory led an expedition to try to conquer Mount Everest. His first two attempts failed. On his third attempt, he and most of his team were wiped out in an avalanche. Upon their return to England, the few who had survived held a banquet to honour Mallory and those who had perished. As the leader of the survivors stood to speak, he looked around the hall at the framed pictures of Mallory and the others who had died.
Then he turned his back to the crowd and faced a large picture of Mount Everest, which stood looming behind the banquet table like a silent, unbeatable giant. With tears streaming down his face, he spoke to the mountain on behalf of his deceased friends: “I speak to you, Mount Everest, in the name of all brave men and women living and those yet unborn. Mount Everest, you defeated us once; you defeated us twice; you defeated us three times. But we shall someday defeat you, because you can’t get any bigger – but we can.”
Soul food: Eze 37:1-40:9; Matt 19:15-30; Ps 73:17-28; Prov 15:22-24
