Maesteg Salvation Army Corps

11/06/2026

THE CUCKOO

I was walking with Rosie along the river path in Llynfi Lane yesterday, when I heard a loud cacophony of birdsong in the trees lining the river, and the thought came to me suddenly that I hadn’t heard the cuckoo at all this year yet.

The “Cuckoo” or ”Cuckow” is found in Leviticus 11:16 and Deuteronomy 14:15 - referenced as an unclean bird, or an ‘abomination’.

You probably know its story. It never builds its own nest. A mama cuckoo looks for and finds an unguarded nest with eggs. She quickly lays her own egg there, and takes off again. That’s all the cuckoo does in terms of parenting - offloads all responsibility for rearing her young.

The mama in the ‘invaded’ nest fails to notice the extra egg, even though it’s much larger than her own. She goes off early in the morning to get worms to feed her chicks. She comes back, and sees her own little ones’ open mouths and one huge cuckoo mouth. Who gets the worms? The cuckoo chick.

So, the cuckoo gets bigger and bigger and her babies get smaller. To find a baby cuckoo in a nest, simply look for little dead thrushes on the ground. The baby cuckoo pushes them out as they die. And the adult bird keeps feeding the baby cuckoo even though it is three times as big as itself.

What does this have to do with us as Christians? You and I have two natures in one body (nest). The nature we feed will grow, and the nature we starve will die. It’s just that simple, that’s how it works in spiritual matters of the heart, mind, and body.

So, if we want to feed our God-given spiritual nature and starve the carnal nature? Here’s what the Bible says, “Submit to God” (James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:8).

It isn’t by guts and determination, by the sweat of our brow or self-discipline. Those efforts will only get us so far. The cuckoo’s behaviour teaches us the importance of guarding our heart and actions, because just as the cuckoo displaces host eggs, unbiblical ideas or deceptive influences can infiltrate our hearts, and take us away from our own faith.

As believers, we need to submit to God, hold firmly to His Word and always remember the sacrifice He made for us on Calvary. Keep near to the Cross throughout life and gain the eternal reward promised us.

Basically, don’t be a cuckoo.

Salvation Army male vocal quartet

08/06/2026

Matthew 5:8 says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

I’ve been thinking about how easy it is to get caught up in the busyness of life—work, responsibilities, worries, and all the noise around us. This verse reminds me that God isn’t looking for a perfect heart; He’s looking for a sincere one.

A pure heart is found in the small, everyday choices: showing kindness when we’re tired, being patient when we’re frustrated, forgiving when it’s difficult, and choosing honesty even when no one else would know.

When we live with that kind of sincerity, we start to notice God in places we might otherwise miss—in a friend's encouragement, a quiet moment of peace, or a reminder that we’re not walking alone.

Today, may we ask God to keep our hearts focused on Him. The clearer our hearts become, the more clearly we see His love, His guidance, and His presence in our daily lives.

Be a blessing and be blessed
Capt. Faye

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04/06/2026

When Life Feels Like a Storm

Have you ever watched a tree during a storm?

When the winter season comes, it stands tall and resilient through all the cold and rain. When the storm deepens, it doesn’t resist the forces of the wind; the branches bend, they yield to nature’s force as its leaves are torn away. The trunk however, remains steady and deeply rooted, making sure the tree stays grounded and unmoved, holding firm through it all.

We are living in a season where the storm of life seems relentless. The news carries unsettling headlines one after another and the future which once felt exciting and full of hope now seems to be full of uncertainties. If we’re honest, the weight of daily life can bend us, tearing away the sense of peace we have cultivated and enjoyed as God’s children.

The Apostle Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians not from a place of comfort, but from a prison cell, and yet he wrote words that have outlasted every empire, generations and times that have come since then.

Philippians 4:6-7 says:
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Paul didn't promise that everything will work out, he didn’t assure everyone their circumstances would be plain-sailing, but he simply urges us to present our requests - all of them - to the Lord. All our fears, all our tears, all our uncertainties, all our helplessness, and the thoughts that keep us awake by worrying about them. Paul also didn’t say the storm will immediately cease, but by presenting Our problems to God, His peace is available to us, a peace that Paul tells us will “transcend all understanding.”

This peace doesn’t require us to have the answers first, it’s a peace that guards our hearts even while the storms are roaring and our branches are bending helplessly. The Lord is the unshakeable root that holds the tree, unseen yet fully present, holding us when we feel like we are failing.

When life feels out of control, it’s not beyond His care. We belong to the One who spoke the world into being, the One who can calm even the fiercest storm. He is our steady ground, our unchanging certainty. We are not meant to carry the weight of being the trunk or the roots. We are simply called to remain connected to Him.

So let us gently release all things that steal our peace and rest in the One who holds all things in His care.

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01/06/2026

For several years, I've faithfully paid my dog's pet insurance premiums and never had to make a claim. Last year, I seriously considered cancelling the policy. After all, I had paid in far more than I had ever received back.
I'm glad I didn’t.

This year, unexpected circumstances mean I'll likely claim around ten times more than I've paid into the policy this year alone. What once seemed like money spent for nothing has become a source of provision when I need it most.

It made me think about faith. There are seasons when praying, reading Scripture, worshipping, and trusting God can feel uneventful. We may wonder whether our faithfulness is making any difference. Yet it is often in the difficult seasons that we discover the value of years spent walking with God.

Faith is not an insurance policy, but it does require trust before the crisis comes. Jesus spoke about building our lives on a solid foundation before the storms arrive (Matthew 7:24-27). The strength of that foundation is only revealed when it is tested.

Looking back, I'm thankful I kept the insurance. More importantly, I'm thankful for every season of trusting God, even when I couldn't see what He was doing. Those moments were building a faith that I can lean on today, confident that “my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”
(Philippians 4:19 NIVUK)

Be a blessing and be blessed
Capt. Faye

Discover peace and hope with "Trusting God in Every Season", an uplifting Christian worship song about God’s faithfulness through life’s changes. This inspir...

31/05/2026

28/05/2026

The Bible verse for yesterday made me laugh a little: “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7).

Maybe I laughed because it’s the day before payday. The dog’s vet bills are already in the thousands. I am insured, but I still have to pay everything upfront first, and before the month has even properly started, I’m already worrying about how I’m going to get through it financially.

I think tithing (giving one tenth of one’s income) is one of those difficult subjects. Finances in general are hard. Money carries stress, fear, responsibility, and sometimes guilt. And yet God asks us to give cheerfully.

I don’t think God wants reluctant giving offered out of religious duty or pressure. He wants hearts that genuinely desire to give. That’s why the widow’s offering meant more than the rich man’s abundance — not because of the amount, but because of the heart it came from.

Sometimes cheerful giving doesn’t come from having plenty. Sometimes it comes from trust. Trust that God sees the sacrifice, understands the worry behind it, and values the posture of our hearts far more than the size of what we place in His hands.

Maybe that’s something worth reflecting on for all of us. Not simply how much we give, but what we are giving to, why we are giving it, and what posture our hearts are in when we do. Whether it’s money, time, energy, compassion, or generosity toward others, perhaps the question is less about obligation and more about willingness.

Be a blessing and be blessed.
Capt Faye.

I created this video with the YouTube Video Editor (http://www.youtube.com/editor)From Steve Green Hide 'Em In Your Heart Volume 2 "Whoever sows sparingly wi...

25/05/2026

GOD IN THE WAITING

For the past three years I’ve been trying to coax my peony into flowering. Every year I’ve waited hopefully, and every year — nothing. Peonies are wonderfully dramatic plants. They want sunshine, but not too much. Water, but not too much. They need to be planted securely, but not too deeply or they won’t bloom. And they definitely appreciate being well fed — honestly, relatable.

So this year I was ready to give up. I’d moved it, watered it, fed it, cared for it, and still all I had were beautiful green leaves with no flowers to show for it. It felt like all effort and no reward.

Then one day I noticed it: a tiny bud, no bigger than a marble. Just one. But finally, a flower. And it reminded me how often growth is happening long before we can see evidence of it.

So much of life can feel like tending a peony that refuses to bloom. We pray, work, heal, wait, and wonder if anything is changing at all. We compare our barren seasons to other people’s flourishing gardens and quietly question whether our efforts matter.

But roots grow deep in unseen places. Perhaps those three years weren’t wasted after all. Perhaps the plant was strengthening itself beneath the surface before it was ready to bloom.

And maybe God works that way in us too. In seasons where we think nothing is happening, He is still nurturing, growing, and preparing something beautiful in hidden places.

That one small bud felt miraculous because it arrived just when I had almost stopped believing it would.

Galatians 6:9 says: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

Sometimes the bloom doesn’t come quickly. Sometimes it takes years of quiet tending. But God is still at work in the waiting, and even the smallest sign of growth can remind us that hope was never wasted.

Be a blessing and be blessed
Capt. Faye

278 likes, 29 comments. "God Is Still Working in You | Emotional Christian Worship for the Waiting"