The Tension of Advent w/ Guest Vanessa Stricker

Show Transcript

Jay Lee [00:00:00]:

Hey. This is pastor Jay, and you're listening to the daily Sabbath podcast. Alright. Welcome to the daily Sabbath podcast presented by Provision Podcast. As always, I'm your host, Pastor Jay, and I don't know if you can hear it. Maybe if you get real quiet and strain your ears, off in the distance, you might hear sleigh bells. It's my favorite time of year, probably for a lot of you guys, yours as well. We're at the holiday Christmas season.

Jay Lee [00:00:30]:

And I don't know about you guys, but I just feel like every year, I'm wanting the season to last longer or start earlier. Like, at at the time of recording, it's the beginning of November, and I'm already, like, Itching to get that Christmas tree and the decorations out. And so, you know, it's just kind of a magical time of year. And so that's why I've invited my guest today. Her name is Vanessa Stricker. This is actually the 2nd time she's been on the podcast, but she created a devotional called Advent Reflections. It's a 4 week devotional for both individuals or families. And, basically, it's just a resource that we can use to reflect More deeply on the birth of Jesus during the advent season.

Jay Lee [00:01:14]:

And so just a little bit more about Vanessa. She describes herself as a Jesus follower, A stumbling peacemaker and a recovering perfectionist. I I definitely gonna have to ask her a little bit more about that. But she's also a Founding member of the nonprofit solidarity, she served as pastor of peacemaking and justice at One Life City Church. And now she's pursuing a certification as a spiritual director, and I can tell you just from personal experience, anybody who gets To be spiritually directed by her is going to be, well taken care of. She's also a blogger online. She blogs on Substack under the name On the Side of Grace, and she is the author of this devotional Advent Reflection. So, Vanessa, thank you so much for being on the podcast again.

Vanessa Stricker [00:02:00]:

Yeah. Thanks for having me. It's good to be back again.

Jay Lee [00:02:03]:

Now before we jump in, I just wanna ask you about your bio because I just, First of all, I just love that you said this, but in your bio, you described yourself as a stumbling peacemaker. And so I was just kind of curious about that. Could you just, like, Explain a little bit of what you mean by that.

Vanessa Stricker [00:02:18]:

Yeah. I mean, I am someone I I would call myself a peacemaker. I I seek to Cultivate peace in in the world around me, in in relationships, in the different interactions that I'm in, and I that really comes from a belief that As followers of Jesus, we are called to be peacemakers. I see Jesus as this ultimate peacemaker, who who came to Earth And modeled what it is to be peace himself and to seek peace, to to bring peace to us, and and I believe that he invited us into that ministry of reconciliation. And so I think that that all of us as as Jesus followers are called to be peacemakers. Mhmm. I I try to embody that role, but I So realize that that I'm stumbling. I'm I'm learning as I go along.

Vanessa Stricker [00:03:05]:

I don't always get it right, and so that's why I like having that qualifier there, a stumbling piece Maker.

Jay Lee [00:03:10]:

Yeah. No. I like that. I like that because I don't know. Maybe like in Christian circles, the word stumbling is usually kind of like a negative thing. Like, oh, That person is stumbling. Right? But I like the idea of being like, it's more of like a a humility. Like, hey.

Jay Lee [00:03:25]:

I'm not Perfectly executing this. I'm I'm still a work in progress, and so Right. I don't know. It just kind of struck me. I like that. And so, yeah, I'm really excited to have you here today to well, first of all, just kinda get us into the Christmas season. And Yeah. You know, to me, this feels like this is my first Official Christmas activity of the year, and so I'm happy that you, you know, you wrote this devotional.

Jay Lee [00:03:49]:

And, yeah, just out of curiosity, like, What prompted you to create this devotional?

Vanessa Stricker [00:03:55]:

It actually came out of my husband and me searching for Some type of advent resource for our family. You know, neither of us grew up observing advent. It's something that that we kinda came to as adults. And as as we started to have kids, we wanted to make that a part of our family rhythm. And so we were Searching out different resources, and we and we've used different things over the years, but but I always kinda felt like I wasn't finding quite what I was looking for. I wanted something that that that both we could go through as adults and then as our family too to to really look at What does it mean that that Jesus came to Earth, that Jesus was born as a baby? Yeah. And so in not being able to find exactly what I was looking for, Eventually, at some point, I was like, well, maybe maybe we should just make that ourselves.

Jay Lee [00:04:48]:

Yeah.

Vanessa Stricker [00:04:49]:

So I really I really created it out of out of that desire, something that my family and I could use together. And I I first created a few years ago, and not only did I use it with my family, but I also made it available to Our church community, so that's kinda where it started, and then I was able to develop it a little bit more, to make it available to a wider audience.

Jay Lee [00:05:11]:

All the best things are born that way. Right? They're born out of you're looking for this thing, and you realize that thing is not out there. And so you're just like, oh, I guess, I just have to make it. Yep. I want it. I mean, you guys are better Christians than I am. I I don't think I've ever I don't think I've ever searched for an advent resource for my family, but, you know, now that you've written this, I'm kind of like, yeah. You know what I mean? We if we want to make this season more meaningful, like, You know, we need to have more more reflection on Jesus and and the season.

Jay Lee [00:05:43]:

You know, like I said at the beginning, for a lot of people, this Christmas season is like our favorite season of the year, unless you're like a Grinch or something. Just kidding. But, you know, I think in the intro to your devotional, you also kinda mentioned that there's sort of like this, I don't know, tension about the Christmas season as well. And so, you know, I just kinda wanted you, if you could, like, just to explain that a little bit. Like, what do you feel like the tension is with Sort of this Christmas advent season.

Vanessa Stricker [00:06:13]:

Well, you know, like you, I love the Christmas season. I always have. It feels like this Magical time of year. And, you know, I have a lot of great memories of of Christmases growing up, and so I think that there's a lot of nostalgia there. And so I always want it to be, you know, this special time of year. I love going to pick out a tree. I My husband and I disagree on this, but I love having a real treat because I like the experience of going to pick it out. I love to go look at lights and Listen to the music and, you know, the presents and and all the celebrations.

Vanessa Stricker [00:06:49]:

I love that. But I think that where the tension comes in is that Sometimes if that's all it is, it can feel really disconnected from our everyday lives, and it can also be Kind of this season where we're trying to fit in all the activities, and we're trying to make it something special. We have these high expectations, And then, you know, the day comes and goes, and then then it can almost be, like, a little bit of a letdown. Yeah. Yeah. And and I think that there's there's also this sense of, you know, we're supposed to have holiday cheer, and so it can make us feel sometimes like We need to ignore or gloss over, the hard stuff of life that that's still present, but we feel like we have to kinda stuff that aside so we can have this Manufactured merriment. And so that's where I think the tension comes in, and and I think that that's really where where Advent comes in, where it invites us to embrace that tension, embrace the the celebration and And the hope and the joy of of the season as as we consider Jesus coming to Earth, this This divine baby being born, but it also invites us to also hold on to and acknowledge the The struggle in our lives, the the pain, the the brokenness we see, and it kinda brings together, like, How this baby in a manger relates to our everyday lives, how this baby king actually offers As hope and something so much greater.

Jay Lee [00:08:27]:

Mhmm. No. I I like what you said there, especially like the For some of us who do feel like, oh, man. This is Christmas. Like, this is this is the highlight of the year. Yeah. That kind of that feeling, and maybe, turns into a little bit of a almost a pressure sometimes. Especially, I noticed as I have kids now, where it's almost like you feel like you have to manufacture that merriment or like, oh, man.

Jay Lee [00:08:52]:

I mean, this is Christmas. We gotta we gotta make it We've got to make it big. We've got to make it good. And so, yeah, I definitely feel that. And I also like that you used the word disconnect, You know, that it can sometimes feel a little disconnected from our everyday lives. And maybe also, weirdly, sadly, Sometimes it feels a little disconnected from our faith. You know that even though it should be sort of very closely tied with our faith and Mhmm. Our relationship with Jesus.

Jay Lee [00:09:22]:

It yeah. Sometimes it does feel, you know, just because there's so much other stuff going on associated with this holiday. Like, Sometimes it does feel a little disconnected from faith.

Vanessa Stricker [00:09:31]:

Right. And I think that sometimes even when we do when we are, You know, setting up nativity scenes and we're talking about this baby in a manger, sometimes even that, It it doesn't always connect to, like, the faith in our everyday lives and how how that makes any kind of impact on our everyday lives. Right? And so, when we can kind of consider step back and consider the bigger picture of Over 2000 years ago when when Jesus was born, kinda considering what were the conditions, what why was this messiah coming to Earth's such a big deal. What was that hope that he had to offer, and and how does that connect, for us today?

Jay Lee [00:10:20]:

Yeah. So in the devotional, you've kind of broken down these devotionals under 4 major themes, Hope, peace, joy, and love, and I think actually that's kind of a classic those are kind of classically identified as themes during Advent. And so I'm just kind of curious since you have spent so much time really, like, reflecting and pouring over Advent, like, I don't know. Why do you feel like these are sort of the important themes of Advent, of hope, peace, joy, and love?

Vanessa Stricker [00:10:53]:

Yeah. Well well, like you said, those are traditional themes. And, you know, there's sometimes I think Advent has taken a lot of different forms through through the generations, and some people There's some variation in those themes. You know, some people will throw faith in there as one of them, but but these 4 of hope, peace, joy, and love are the ones that that I'm most familiar with, and I think that, you know, those are are concepts that that we're all looking for. Whether we're people of faith or not, I think just that just as humans, those are things that that we want in our lives. But we might have different ideas of what those words mean or even how to achieve or receive those things. But but I think that Jesus really embodies each one of those ideas of hope, peace, joy, and love. And that as we come to know Christ and and begin to understand the radical grace of a God who would choose To take on flesh and enter into the messy reality of humanity, I think that that allows us to Receive those things, that hope, peace, joy, and love in a new way.

Vanessa Stricker [00:12:05]:

Those those take on a new meaning, when we consider that.

Jay Lee [00:12:11]:

I like that. I like that that Jesus is the one who embodies these 4 themes, these 4 qualities of hope, peace, joy, and love, and how know, these are the things that everybody is looking for, and it's so true. May I mean, maybe that's sort of the appeal of Christmas that, you know, it's not just Christians who love Christmas. Like, Most people, except for the grinches, of course, most people really love this Christmas season. And even if they're not really connected with The faith, and maybe that's it. It's because everybody on a human level is searching and longing for these 4 things, hope, Peace, joy, and love Mhmm. That they find their fulfillment in Jesus. Mhmm.

Vanessa Stricker [00:12:52]:

Yeah. So if we look at even just the first of those themes, this idea of hope, and when we think about the world that Jesus Entered into over 2000 years ago, we're invited to consider the conditions that the Hebrew people were living in. That, you know, for centuries, they had lived under exile or occupation, and they were waiting for this promised messiah to Come and deliver them from their oppression. And so when God entered into the world in human form, it provided Hope for the people that that they weren't forgotten, that god had heard their cries and seen their struggle, and that he had come to rescue them. And, you know, for many, that rescue looked a lot different than what they were expecting, but the hope that Jesus was offering was that God was with them And that god was willing and would enter into their suffering and bring about restoration. And that's a hope that's that's not based on circumstance, But a hope that's based on the steadfast love of their god. And so I think, you know, when we think about it in that light, that that message rings true today, and it's a message that that we need to be reminded of over and over again. Right? I think when we can Can kinda take a step back, kinda create this space in Advent to consider these different themes and and what those concepts really mean and how we see them Embodied in Jesus, not just in his birth, but also in his life, that that that invites us to It invites us to embrace those themes in new ways and in ways that we can take into the rest of our lives, not just in this Christmas season, But it's something that we can take with us as as we go on throughout our year as well.

Jay Lee [00:14:42]:

Yeah. And I like just this idea of restoration because, You know, that's so different from what we were talking about before. Like, a lot of times when we come to Christmas, you know, it's about the merriment and And the parties and and all that stuff, which is great, but reflecting on the world that Jesus was coming into and the people who were, were longing for him, the people who were waiting for him. Mhmm. They were longing for restoration. Right? Kind of going back to that theme of tension that you talked about where, you know, they were living in a situation of oppression or just in a situation where they were suffering.

Vanessa Stricker [00:15:23]:

Mhmm.

Jay Lee [00:15:24]:

For them, I guess Christmas was about this this hope that that there was a restoration that was on the horizon, that it was It was just around the corner. It was coming, and actually it was already here with the birth of this child. And so yeah. Just I mean, Reflecting on it in that way, I feel like, yeah, it gives it so much more of a a depth of meaning to really reflect on this this idea of restor restoration actually should be one of the, one of the themes. I mean, I guess it's a part of hope. But

Vanessa Stricker [00:15:53]:

Yeah. I think that that's also, you know, when we consider the idea of peace. You know, that's that's part of how I understand the word peace. Peace, as it's talked about in the bible, is is this idea of wholeness. Right? And so it's it's taking the things that are broken and restoring them to wholeness. So, yeah, I think that idea of restoration I mean, we probably see it In in each one of those things, right, in hope, peace, joy, and love Yeah. Restoration is a part of that.

Jay Lee [00:16:22]:

Yeah. Now as you've been reflecting on Advent, I don't know. Is there something about Advent that you feel like is particularly relevant to the world or to Our lives today, like, is there something that you feel like really, really speaks a word that we desperately need to hear in the world today?

Vanessa Stricker [00:16:42]:

Yeah. You know, I think it doesn't take much to look around and see that there is so much heartbreak and suffering In the world around us, whether that be in our own lives, in in the pain and and loss that we experience, or Whereas we look, you know, on a broader, even global level, and and we see war and we see gun violence and We see oppression of of all kinds. And and I think that in the midst of that, It can it can be really easy to get to a place of despair, to to even ask those questions of, is God still in this? Where is God in the midst of this. And so I think that we need the reminder that the Advent offers that God sees us, that God sees the pain and the brokenness, that God grieves with us and and that even more, he doesn't just look on from a distance, but that God actually enters into the midst of it. Yeah. And so I think that Advent is that reminder that we can hold the tension of living in a broken world along with the hope of a savior who is with us And and who's actively working to bring heaven to earth, to bring his kingdom and his will to earth, and and to heal what's broken. And so I think we we really need space for both of those, for for both the The grief and the joy, the the recognition of the suffering and the hope, the ways that we see the brokenness and the peace, the ways that that we see hatred and division and the ways that we're learning to love in the midst of that, We need to hold space for all of it. And so I think, you know, if we if we were to just hold on to suffering without hope, we'll we'll end up drowning in despair.

Vanessa Stricker [00:18:45]:

But if we only preach a message of hope and victory without giving space to acknowledge the pain and lament what is broken, Then it'll be an empty message that that actually leads people to deny and suppress their pain. But, you know, as as we mentioned before, this idea of restoration, As God is working, to bring restoration, to bring healing, to bring wholeness, that requires that, that we bring the the pain and the brokenness to light, and invite God in to heal. To light, and invite God in to heal that. And so I really feel like that's, that's this this tension that that we're being invited into in Advent, and and I think that that's such a timely message For for us today, I mean, I'm I'm sure at at every point throughout history, right, there's there's been pain and suffering and oppression. But I think when we're considering even just our context today, it's really easy to see that that we live in a broken world that That needs to know that that God sees it, that he's with us in the midst of it, and that he's working towards restoration.

Jay Lee [00:19:53]:

Yeah. I think I've always felt like there was maybe a little tinge of sadness to the Christmas story. Maybe because like, obviously, if, if the Christmas story just ended with the birth and the nativity, but I think In reflecting on sort of the destiny of this child, right, and Mhmm. Who he would grow up to be and the life that he would live and, You know, ultimately, ending on the cross. Like, I always felt like, yeah, when when you reflect on sort of Jesus' destiny and and his, you know, earthly life that there there is sort of like this tinge of a little bit of a a melancholy or sadness to the Christmas story. Christmas story. Yeah. Maybe that is sort of something that actually we need to see because the world that we live in is is like that, maybe more than a tinge.

Jay Lee [00:20:46]:

But Mhmm. Even in the midst of you know, because we still have joy in our lives. We still, you know, we still have celebration. There's Still so many things to be thankful for, but yeah, there's always sort of that, that tinge of sadness or despair when you reflect on the fact that, yeah, there is still so much pain and suffering Mhmm. In the world every day. You know, just Depending on where in the world or in which house you're looking, it's it's always there. And I I like what you said, this idea that That I guess with Advent that Jesus is not distant. God is not standing off at a distance, just sort of observing, but that he's in the midst of it with us.

Jay Lee [00:21:29]:

And Yeah. He's not holding himself aloof, but he's entered in. And in fact, he experiences that suffering, himself.

Vanessa Stricker [00:21:39]:

Yeah. And I think, you know, we we see the whole picture of Jesus' life, you know, as as you talked about. We see, what he went through. We see even at the end of his life, his death, but we also see the resurrection that comes after that. And so we we sit in this unique space of being able to celebrate this This messiah that that already came and and lived, and we see the hope in that, and also We're still longing for for that that savior to come and restore in our own lives.

Jay Lee [00:22:15]:

Yeah.

Vanessa Stricker [00:22:16]:

And so it's kind of a little bit of this This in between, but I think it helps to connect the story that we read in the Bible to our lives now, and that that's something that we can take with us farther than just in in the Christmas season.

Jay Lee [00:22:34]:

Yeah. So do you feel like it would be helpful if during the Christmas season because, you know, I think in church, we we tend to sort of Separate by the season. So during Christmas, obviously, we're talking about the birth of Jesus. Then we get to, like, Good Friday and Easter. That's what we're talking about, the death and the resurrection of Jesus. Do you think that it would be helpful to connect those a little bit more? Like, hey, during Advent, we might also need to talk about the death and the the resurrection of Jesus more with that story, or I don't I don't know if you have any thoughts on that.

Vanessa Stricker [00:23:08]:

Yeah. I I do think so. I think that the idea of of this baby being born, of Jesus being born as a baby, and and the celebration surrounding that, it's not just about a baby being born. Right? It is about God entering In. God taking on flesh, entering into humanity, and and all the mass of it, And that it it didn't just end there. Right? We have the the context of Jesus' life to show us, how to live. And and, you know, and the things that he experienced, that that shows us that we have a God who who can relate to us. And and he showed us how to live in the midst of of the pain and the struggle and all the things that he faced.

Jay Lee [00:23:57]:

Yeah. You kind of you kind of need that full context, that full story to really make sense of of of this birth. Yeah. Otherwise, it can't. You you can see without that 2nd part how Christmas does sort of descend into just sort of like happy pictures of a baby in a manger and, And, you know, like, the shepherds and the stars and the angels singing and, you know, just without that full context, you could just see how it just It could turn into something that's a little bit more, shallow Mhmm. Or artificial.

Vanessa Stricker [00:24:31]:

Yeah. And And, you know, and and on the other hand too, like, I I'm not trying to make, the Christmas season just a downer either. Right? Like, oh, yeah. We need we need to Think about suffering. That's that's not the point of it either, but it's really this idea that, like, we need to hold Both.

Jay Lee [00:24:51]:

Yeah.

Vanessa Stricker [00:24:51]:

Right? Because I I think that if we just try to suppress or deny or ignore, kind of the the hard parts of life just for the sake of being able to, you know, have this this manufactured merriment That that we're actually missing out. Like, we're we're not going to be experiencing real peace and joy if we're not 1st, being honest about why we even need those things. Right? Yeah. Being honest about the ways that that we're lacking that. Like, this idea of hope is, like, faith in things that are unseen. Right? We have hope because there's something that that we don't have in our midst yet. Right? Something that we're longing for. And so to be able to be honest about that, I think, actually invites us into what true hope is And where we find our hope.

Jay Lee [00:25:44]:

No. Yeah. That's good. If we're not honest about the reality of what we're missing, then the hope that we're looking for from Jesus is too small.

Vanessa Stricker [00:25:56]:

Mhmm.

Jay Lee [00:25:56]:

Like, if if the if we see that the reality is that we Live in a in a world that is full that is broken and full of suffering, then we can truly understand the hope that he brings, that he's he's coming to restore all things. Right. But I guess, yeah, if we're not honest about sort of the realities, what what what hope are we asking Jesus to bring us? The hope of a new bike? Or, you know, like yeah. So I I see what you're saying. You know, you we have to see the reality and be honest about it so that the hope and the peace that we are looking for from Jesus is Big Enough.

Vanessa Stricker [00:26:31]:

Yes.

Jay Lee [00:26:32]:

Well so and we've talked a lot about sort of, like, the themes of this devotional. But, you know, so if people wanted to actually use this devotional this week, let's just sort of get into the nuts and bolts of it. Like, How is this devotional organized? Like, how do people use this devotional? Like, you mentioned that it's for individuals, but also can be for families. So, like, How does the devotional actually work?

Vanessa Stricker [00:26:55]:

So the devotional consists of 4 weeks of content, and it's daily content. So, 4 weeks, 7 days a week, and each day, there will be a reflection that's geared towards adults along the theme for that week. And then there's also a family reflection that goes along with it. So if, I mean, if you are somebody who, Whether you don't have kids or your kids are grown, you can still use this and and just go through the, the reflections that are meant for adults. But if you are a parent, you've got kids, you can have 1 reflection that that you go through on your own And then another reflection that you go through together as a family, and that that brings the content in a way that's that's accessible, for kids. And so it's something you can use on your own, in your family, or with a group. There's there's an option to buy a group license to go along with it. I've had several different churches that that have bought this, to either to give out to the people in their church or to use it together In a group setting.

Jay Lee [00:28:03]:

Wow. That's awesome. Yeah. So wow. Set 4 weeks, 7 days a week. That that's a lot of content, actually. Right. Yeah.

Jay Lee [00:28:12]:

So that that's awesome. And then let's see. Advent when does Advent begin this year, 2023?

Vanessa Stricker [00:28:19]:

You know, I I was I was actually just looking. So it kinda depends on where you look at. You know? Some people will say Sunday, December 3rd is the first. But, actually, if you're using this reflection, actually gonna be better to start on the 26th, just because of the way that that Christmas falls this year. It's it's meant to kinda start on a Sunday and end on a Saturday. So if you start November 26th, then you will finish up on December 23rd. Yeah.

Jay Lee [00:28:46]:

Okay. So November 26th would be the ideal start time for this, and then it it's 4 weeks of content, 7 days a week. So how how can they get the devotional? Is it where where do they get it?

Vanessa Stricker [00:29:00]:

Yeah. It's on Etsy. So if you go to on the side of grace dotedsey.com. You will find it there, and you can purchase it as a digital download.

Jay Lee [00:29:12]:

Ah, okay. So okay. Digital. So they can just download it and print it out? They don't

Vanessa Stricker [00:29:16]:

have to So so once you purchase it, you'll have the option to, to download it right then and there. And then and then it's up to you if you want to print it out or if it's something that you wanna keep it on your phone, on your computer, either way works.

Jay Lee [00:29:32]:

Yeah. And I think I remember seeing that there's also, like, some, like, activities, right, like, for kids or at least

Vanessa Stricker [00:29:38]:

Right.

Jay Lee [00:29:38]:

Like, there's something where where the family can, like, decorate something.

Vanessa Stricker [00:29:42]:

Yeah. There's there's a variety of content. So sometimes it'll be, you know, a short reflection with some scripture and some discussion questions. Sometimes there's There's a way to engage it through art. Sometimes there's a song that you'll listen to or or a video that you can watch, And and it invites you into different contemplative practices and and ways for you to reflect as well. But another thing along with that, Each week for each one of those themes, there is a graphic, for that week. So that is something that You can print it out. You can each each member of your family can can color it, and you can find a place to hang it up.

Vanessa Stricker [00:30:24]:

So that as you're going throughout Advent, each week, you're kinda adding that that artwork and and the different graphics to go along with the themes.

Jay Lee [00:30:33]:

Okay. So they can so I will definitely include the link to the Etsy shop on the show notes so you guys will be able to find it there. And then I don't know if it's weird for me to ask, but how much does it cost?

Vanessa Stricker [00:30:44]:

Yeah. It costs $15. Okay. Although there is I did create, a discount code for a daily Sabbath listener. So

Jay Lee [00:30:54]:

Oh, yes.

Vanessa Stricker [00:30:55]:

If you use that code, which is just Daily Sabbath, if you enter that that discount code, you'll get 20% off. So I think that Makes it. I I don't remember the exact amount. It was something like 12.50 or 13, something like that.

Jay Lee [00:31:10]:

I mean, honestly, that's, like, such an amazing deal. So so basically for, like, 12 or $13, you're gonna get 4 weeks of devotionals. And, I mean, you're saying, like, some some even some churches have been using it. Right? So

Vanessa Stricker [00:31:26]:

Mhmm. Yeah. If you do wanna use it for a group, or if it's something you wanna send out to to some other people, there's also a group license.

Jay Lee [00:31:34]:

Yeah.

Vanessa Stricker [00:31:35]:

And so there's kinda different tiers on that, based on, You know, the amount of copies that that you'd be either printing or sending out, so you can you can buy that group license as well.

Jay Lee [00:31:45]:

So we'll include all of that information, all of the links, and, the coupon code daily sabbath, if you want information about the, the group license. So We'll include all of that in the show notes, but, Vanessa, thank you so much for, you know, just being here, being having, You know, reflected so deeply on Advent. But, yeah, if if people wanted to connect with you more, what's the best ways for them to connect with you?

Vanessa Stricker [00:32:10]:

Yeah. I'm on, both Instagram and Facebook, On the Side of Grace. And, also, my blog is on Substack. So if you go to on the side of grace.substack.com, you can find me there as well.

Jay Lee [00:32:25]:

Alright. So all those links will be in the show notes. I encourage you guys To connect with Vanessa but, Vanessa, thank you again for being on the podcast.

Vanessa Stricker [00:32:33]:

Yeah. Thanks so much for having me.

Jay Lee [00:32:41]:

The closing song for this episode, Feed in the Rain, is by Darla Baltazar. The Daily Sabbath is a provision podcast production. If you're enjoying the show, please leave us a rating and review, and share this episode with someone. You can also check out all of our links in the episode description.