about us
Meet tlillie
Hi! I’m Theresa Cruz Lillegard, the creator of tlillie.
When I was a young mother, I unexpectedly found myself on a spiritual journey. My husband heard a call to become a priest, so we packed up our life, including our two young boys, and went to seminary.
I soon realized that God was calling me also. He gave me an answer to the deepest longing of my heart, which was simply to become a faithful follower of Jesus. And so, many years later, I am still trying to be faithful to that call.
Through this journey, I have seen joy, struggle, heartache, and everything in between. And I have a sincere desire to help. Whether leading retreats and worship in our various church communities, or participating in daily prayer and the study of God’s Word, I am grateful for the grace God shows those who seek Him.
Come join me in learning and growing in the Lord. Anything is possible in Him!
Our Ministry Journey
This call to ministry has been a wonderful and wild ride, so far. When my husband Andy and I recognized that God was asking Andy to serve as a priest in His Episcopal church, we gave up our whole life plan to follow.
We began the process in our home Episcopal church in Eau Claire, WI, and moved to Nashotah House Theological Seminary in Nashotah, WI. After a full, formative, and truly wonderful three years, it was time for graduation and the next step in our journey.
The Journey Continues...
From there, we were granted a chance to serve at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Sheridan, WY, at the foot of the Big Horn Mountains. We learned a lot, met some wonderful people, and grew in love and faithfulness through our time there.
Our current parish is located in Saranac Lake, NY, located in the Adirondack Park. The Park covers 6 million acres, over half of which are protected, to be devoted to forestry, agriculture, and recreation. We’re very grateful to be fulfilling our call to follow Christ in such beautiful places.
Up Coming Projects
We are busy learning and growing in the Lord, by serving our church and the greater community. We are happy to serve all those in need, in the church and without. Many in Saranac Lake and the surrounding areas come to us in need of help with the costs of food, heat, and medicine, and we help all those that we can.
Helping pollinators and creating healthy ecosystems is a big concern for us. Looking forward to spring, we are busy winter sowing- to have native plants to give away next summer, and to sell for fundraising for our charitable projects.
We are researching ways to improve outside habitats for all creatures that share our space, and will hopefully offer free programs to help others do the same next summer.
And, as much as we can, we are building our tlillie community with wonderful people just like you! Join us by signing up for our email, so you’ll never miss out on what tlillie is doing next.