SPEAKER_00: Hi guys.
SPEAKER_00: Thank you so much for letting me have another go at this today.
SPEAKER_00: Wow, there's a lot of you.
SPEAKER_00: So we have all the kids in here today, and we don't have very long.
SPEAKER_00: So I'm just going to tell us a couple of two or three stories, depending on how long, how slow or fast I talk, and read a couple of scriptures, and then we can all go and eat next door together.
SPEAKER_00: So let's pray.
SPEAKER_00: Lord God, we love you so much in this place, Jesus, and thank you for those beautiful children's voices that we have just listened to, Lord.
SPEAKER_00: I just pray over this next time, uh, over this time that we have together, over the next hour or so, Lord.
SPEAKER_00: God, I just pray that you would be close with us.
SPEAKER_00: I ask for your presence.
SPEAKER_00: I ask for your help with my memory and getting my words out.
SPEAKER_00: And I just thank you for each and every person in this room, Lord God.
SPEAKER_00: We love you, Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: Amen.
SPEAKER_00: Okay, so my first story is about a little girl named Olive.
SPEAKER_00: Um, Olive was 10 years old and she lived at home with her mama and papa.
SPEAKER_00: Olive and her parents lived way out in the wapwops.
SPEAKER_00: They lived in the countryside, far away from town.
SPEAKER_00: And this suited Olive well because she was scared of strangers.
SPEAKER_00: She was nervous around people that weren't her mama and her papa.
SPEAKER_00: So every day Olive stayed home and she helped her parents with the house chores and with the yard work and she helped them with the animals.
SPEAKER_00: And this was just the way that Olive liked it.
SPEAKER_00: Except today, Olive's mama had told her that the following day they would be taking a trip into town.
SPEAKER_00: Olive's mama was going into town and she was going to take Olive along with her.
SPEAKER_00: Olive was instantly filled with nerves, but a little bit excited as well.
SPEAKER_00: She packed herself a little bag and put together some snacks, and then she looked through her cloaks, trying to decide what she would wear to town tomorrow.
SPEAKER_00: She was looking through her cloaks and she came to her favorite cloak.
SPEAKER_00: It was a muted blue colour with decorative stitching, and Olive had only worn it on very special occasions.
SPEAKER_00: But she wanted to look her best for the trip into town.
SPEAKER_00: So she chose it and she laid it out for the morning.
SPEAKER_00: The following morning, Olive and her mama got up early for the big trip into town.
SPEAKER_00: And she slipped on her favorite cloak and she got her bag and she went outside to meet Mama.
SPEAKER_00: And Mama said, Olive, you look beautiful.
SPEAKER_00: You're wearing your favorite cloak.
SPEAKER_00: And Olive loved it when Mama said she looked beautiful.
SPEAKER_00: So she held Mama's hand and they started their big long walk into town.
SPEAKER_00: About halfway to town, they stopped for some lunch.
SPEAKER_00: And Olive's mama lay her own cloak down on the ground for them both to sit on.
SPEAKER_00: Olive was pleased because she didn't want to lay her precious cloak down on the ground.
SPEAKER_00: So she sat on Mama's cloak and they had some lunch.
SPEAKER_00: They ate walnuts and apples and bread.
SPEAKER_00: And then they continued on with their walk into town.
SPEAKER_00: When they finally arrived and they could see the city gates up ahead, Olive felt tired, but only for a moment because then she saw the crowds of people that were crowded out just outside of the city gates.
SPEAKER_00: And then she felt afraid.
SPEAKER_00: There were so many so many people, more people than Olive had ever seen in her life.
SPEAKER_00: She pulled on mama's hand, trying to slow her down.
SPEAKER_00: But Olive's mama said, It's okay, Olive, you'll be alright, and she hurried her along.
SPEAKER_00: As they drew closer, Olive's mama bumped into somebody that she knew.
SPEAKER_00: And she stopped to chat to her friend.
SPEAKER_00: And Olive gripped tightly onto her mama's hand and looked at the crowds of people that were all around them.
SPEAKER_00: There were children in the crowds.
SPEAKER_00: They were running back and forth, laughing and squealing.
SPEAKER_00: But Olive just stayed quiet beside Mama.
SPEAKER_00: And then she heard the lady telling Mama, Jesus is coming.
SPEAKER_00: And Olive's heart leapt in her chest.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus was coming.
SPEAKER_00: Her attention snapped from the crowd up to the conversation that her mama was having above her head.
SPEAKER_00: Mama and Olive had seen Jesus before.
SPEAKER_00: One time far out in the countryside, they had listened to Jesus speak.
SPEAKER_00: And Olive would never forget that day.
SPEAKER_00: Because on that day, Mama and Olive had watched Jesus take a boy who was blind and he had given him back his sight.
SPEAKER_00: Mama and Olive had talked about it ever since.
SPEAKER_00: And now Jesus was coming today.
SPEAKER_00: Olive and Mama stood to the side of the road and they watched as the people began to lay their garments of clothing down on the road.
SPEAKER_00: And Jesus would soon ride right over them.
SPEAKER_00: Olive could see Jesus now.
SPEAKER_00: He was still a long way off, but if she stood on her tiptoes, she could see him.
SPEAKER_00: And he rode on a donkey.
SPEAKER_00: Olive's mama squeezed her hand, and Olive's heart bit hard against her chest.
SPEAKER_00: There were people everywhere.
SPEAKER_00: They were crowding around Olive.
SPEAKER_00: They were talking and hollering, laughing, and some of them were even dancing.
SPEAKER_00: There was dust swirling high in the hot sun with all of the commotion underfoot.
SPEAKER_00: Olive coughed and waved one hand over her face.
SPEAKER_00: The people were excited.
SPEAKER_00: The crowd was buzzing with excitement, and Olive could feel it like electricity all around her.
SPEAKER_00: But she just stayed quiet.
SPEAKER_00: She stayed silent, holding Mama's hand.
SPEAKER_00: Olive watched with wide eyes as they lay leafy, large leafy branches out over the road.
SPEAKER_00: It was fascinating.
SPEAKER_00: It was, Olive had never seen anything like this.
SPEAKER_00: They were paving the road for him as though he was a king.
SPEAKER_00: They were paving the road for him as though he was their king.
SPEAKER_00: And as Olive stood there holding Mama's hand and watching Jesus as he came closer and closer and watching the crowds of people, she thought about her favorite cloak.
SPEAKER_00: Olive had chosen it especially because she wanted to look her best for her trip into town.
SPEAKER_00: But now a part of her wished that she hadn't chosen it.
SPEAKER_00: Because as she watched the people laying their cloaks down on the road for Jesus, Olive realized that she wanted to lay her cloak down on the road for Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: She was sure that Mama wouldn't mind because Olive had never seen Mama more fascinated, more taken by anyone as she was by Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: But it wasn't just the thought of giving up her favorite cloak that held her back.
SPEAKER_00: It was the thought of stepping out in front of all of these people to lay it on the road.
SPEAKER_00: That part was terrifying.
SPEAKER_00: Olive looked up at Mama's face now.
SPEAKER_00: She saw teardrops making a pathway down her dusty cheeks.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus was getting closer.
SPEAKER_00: She could see his legs rubbing roughly against the donkey side, and she could see his face through the dust and his smiling eyes as he looked up towards the city.
SPEAKER_00: He looked like he had a plan as he looked up towards the city, like he had a purpose.
SPEAKER_00: Olive was sure that her heart had never bit this hard and this fast before.
SPEAKER_00: She could hear it ringing in her ears.
SPEAKER_00: It drowned out the sound of the crowd.
SPEAKER_00: And then suddenly Olive just had to move.
SPEAKER_00: She just had to.
SPEAKER_00: Suddenly, she didn't care about her favorite cloak anymore.
SPEAKER_00: And she didn't even care about the people pressing in all around her.
SPEAKER_00: But she had to move fast.
SPEAKER_00: So she pulled her hand free from mama's.
SPEAKER_00: Mama looked down at her, surprised, and then must have realized what she was doing because she kissed Olive's forehead, encouraging her on.
SPEAKER_00: Olive took off her cloak as fast as she could and she was gone.
SPEAKER_00: She zipped through the crowd, weaving in and out of the people until she reached the road.
SPEAKER_00: And then she knelt down and she spread out her cloak on the ground just in time because Jesus was here.
SPEAKER_00: And suddenly his donkey veered hard to the right and rode right over top of Olive's favorite cloak.
SPEAKER_00: She clasped her hands together.
SPEAKER_00: She had done it.
SPEAKER_00: She stood up to watch him ride by.
SPEAKER_00: There was a little boy who stood next to Olive and he asked her, Who is this?
SPEAKER_00: He pointed at Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: Olive didn't talk to strangers, not ever.
SPEAKER_00: But today she was brave.
SPEAKER_00: This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee, she told him.
SPEAKER_00: She spun around looking over the sea of faces to find Mama's to find Mama's face.
SPEAKER_00: Olive was grinning from ear to ear.
SPEAKER_00: She was elated because she had done it.
SPEAKER_00: Matthew 21, 8 to 11.
SPEAKER_00: Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting, Praise God for the Son of David, blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
SPEAKER_00: Praise God in highest heaven.
SPEAKER_00: The entire city of Jerusalem was in an uproar as he entered.
SPEAKER_00: Who is this?
SPEAKER_00: They asked.
SPEAKER_00: And the crowds replied, It's Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.
SPEAKER_00: My second story happened on the same.
SPEAKER_00: Just thought you guys needed a break halfway through that one.
SPEAKER_00: All right.
SPEAKER_00: My second story happened on the same day in the same town on the same busy road as Jesus rode by on the donkey.
SPEAKER_00: But this is a story about a little stone named Ardo.
SPEAKER_00: Ardo the stone lived on the side of the road with a whole bunch of other little stones.
SPEAKER_00: Ardo was just a stone who lived on the side of the road, but Ardo knew who his creator was.
SPEAKER_00: And Ardo knew where he fit into creation.
SPEAKER_00: And Ardo knew exactly what he was supposed to do today.
SPEAKER_00: Ardo was excited because today was the day.
SPEAKER_00: He was excited for all of the stones because their time had finally come.
SPEAKER_00: Ardo stood up now on the side of the road and he cleared his throat.
SPEAKER_00: And he waited until all of the other stones turned towards him.
SPEAKER_00: He had their full attention.
SPEAKER_00: And he called out to them, Are you ready?
SPEAKER_00: The stones were silent.
SPEAKER_00: They were always silent.
SPEAKER_00: Now remember, he told them, if the people don't cry out for us, if they don't lift their voices to praise God's only Son, then it's all up to us.
SPEAKER_00: God is relying on us.
SPEAKER_00: The stones did not answer Ardo because they were stones.
SPEAKER_00: So they were always silent.
SPEAKER_00: That is, perhaps, up until today.
SPEAKER_00: Ardo turned his attention back to the road.
SPEAKER_00: There were people everywhere.
SPEAKER_00: They lay their cloaks on the road, along with large leafy branches.
SPEAKER_00: And God's son would arrive any minute now.
SPEAKER_00: Ardo squinted his eyes watching down the road, and he whispered to himself, It's our time to shine.
SPEAKER_00: Luke 19, 37 to 40.
SPEAKER_00: When they reached the place where the road started down the Mount of Olives, all of his followers began to shout and sing as they walked along, praising God for all the wonderful miracles they had seen.
SPEAKER_00: Blessings on the king who comes in the name of the Lord, peace in heaven and glory in highest heaven.
SPEAKER_00: But some of the Pharisees among the crowd said, Teacher, rebuke your followers for saying things like that.
SPEAKER_00: But he replied, If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into chairs.
SPEAKER_00: Thanks, guys.
SPEAKER_00: Right, one more little story.
SPEAKER_00: This isn't a Bible story, it's just a Stacy story.
SPEAKER_00: Um recently, Jake and I, our daughter, got married.
SPEAKER_00: Uh Mila and Luca, they got married a month and a half ago now.
SPEAKER_00: And um they chose a wedding venue that was like a garden venue.
SPEAKER_00: And in order for them to get married there and for it to be like a success, it really needed to be sunny.
SPEAKER_00: Um and Mila, you know, I was kind of trying to get her ready.
SPEAKER_00: I was kind of saying to her, like, well, if if it is raining, you know, it won't be too bad if we have it in like the reception area.
SPEAKER_00: And she was kind of like, no, that would be bad.
SPEAKER_00: And I realized like it was really important for her to her for it to be a sunny day, which was obviously something that I couldn't control.
SPEAKER_00: But I was checking the weather forecast um way before, you know, the long weather forecast, like maybe it was a month or more before.
SPEAKER_00: And and the day of her wedding was like thunder, lightning, and rain.
SPEAKER_00: I wasn't telling Mila, but I was like, oh my gosh, no, this just can't happen.
SPEAKER_00: And so I started to, you know, obviously that was out of my control, but I started to talk to God about it.
SPEAKER_00: And around that time I read that story in the Bible where the widow, uh, Jesus is teaching about a widow who comes to a judge asking for something, and he ends up giving it to her, not because he cares about her and not because he's good, but he ends up giving it to her just because she won't stop asking.
SPEAKER_00: So I was like, I really grabbed onto that and I was just desperate for like my baby.
SPEAKER_00: I just wanted her to have like her dream.
SPEAKER_00: Um, and it seemed kind of silly praying about sunshine so much, but I just I did it anyway.
SPEAKER_00: Um, and so I was just praying about sunshine for her wedding day.
SPEAKER_00: I was praying first thing in the morning.
SPEAKER_00: If I woke up in the night, you know, I was praying the last thing that I would pray for when I went to sleep at night, I was praying when I was exercising, driving, eating.
SPEAKER_00: I was really grabbing on to him.
SPEAKER_00: I was begging, I was actually begging him for sunshine for for Mila.
SPEAKER_00: And um, yeah, long story short, there not only the day was the most glorious sunshine, but the days leading up as well, because in order for her to have the wet them to have the wedding there, the ground needed to be dry to be able to, you know, have it in the garden.
SPEAKER_00: So all of the days leading up, including the day, were just glorious.
SPEAKER_00: And um, I'm not saying that I like prayed that into being or anything, but I it it really I felt like he spoke to me through it.
SPEAKER_00: I I felt like you know, there are so many things in my life that are quite a bit more important than sunshine.
SPEAKER_00: Why don't I grab onto him about those things?
SPEAKER_00: Um, and yeah, so I thought I would share that with you guys in case that was encouraging for anybody that yeah, um, and so that scripture was Luke 18, 1 to 8.
SPEAKER_00: One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.
SPEAKER_00: There was a judge in a certain city, he said, who neither feared God nor cared about people.
SPEAKER_00: A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.
SPEAKER_00: The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, I don't fear God or care about people, but this woman is driving me crazy.
SPEAKER_00: I'm going to see that she gets justice because she is wearing me out with her constant requests.
SPEAKER_00: Then the Lord said, Learn a lesson from this unjust judge.
SPEAKER_00: Even he rendered a just decision in the end.
SPEAKER_00: So don't you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night?
SPEAKER_00: Will he keep putting them off?
SPEAKER_00: I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly.
SPEAKER_00: But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?
SPEAKER_00: Let's pray.
SPEAKER_00: Lord God, we love you so much.
SPEAKER_00: And Jesus, we thank you that you had a plan on that day.
SPEAKER_00: We thank you that as you rode the donkey towards that city, that you had a plan and that that plan was for us, Lord.
SPEAKER_00: God, we pray and we ask that we would always bring our praise to you, Lord, but that we would never leave it up to the stones.
SPEAKER_00: And God, we thank you that you care about the longings of our hearts, that you hear the words on our lips when we bring them to you.
SPEAKER_00: We adore you, Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: Amen.
SPEAKER_00: Thanks, guys.