Sabbath Sundries

11/20/2025

Fun event for your littles to shop handmade gifts for the family in Downtown Monroe! Our tallow is stocked up in the gift shop Monroe-Walton Center for the Arts🌲

🎄✨ **Little Shoppers’ Wonderland** ✨🎄
Where kids shop, elves help — and holiday magic begins!

📅 Saturday, Nov 22 & Saturday, Dec 6
🕥 10:30 AM – 3 PM
🎁 Registration appreciated to allow us to prepare — limited spots available! If we can, we will take walk-ins, but setting an appointment ensures that we have elves ready for your child.

Parents — this is one of the *sweetest* holiday traditions at MWCA… and spots are beginning to fill up. If your child loves independence, surprises, and a little Christmas magic, this is *their* event! 🌟

Kids ages 5–12 get their own personal *MWCA Shopping Elf* to guide them through the shop to pick out gifts for family and friends — all handmade, affordable, and meaningful. You set the budget and give us a shopping list.

Everything they choose is wrapped, tagged and ready so the surprises stay secret! 🎅💝

While your shopper has the time of their life, you get to relax with coffee + cookies in our holiday lobby. ☕🍪✨

**What to Expect:**
✨ A 30-minute guided shopping session with an Elf
✨ Gifts available under $10
✨ Wrapped gifts ready to go under the tree
✨ A sweet, memory-making holiday moment you’ll both cherish
✨ And every purchase supports *local artists* and *community art programs*

⭐ Reminder: Space is limited.
👉 Appointment link can be found in this event link >> Little Shoppers Wonderland— grab your child’s spot soon! Registration is free.

Let’s make this a magical holiday your kids will never forget. 🎄💛

⭐️🎄🎅🎁⭐️

07/22/2025

Today I turn 41. 🎉 Last year was full of so many trips and celebrations. This year is a little more low key. The word the Lord gave me in January was “prepare”. I felt in my spirit then that this would be a hard year. Prepare your heart…

God is such a good Father. He teaches us how to pray and prepare for the seasons to come if our eyes are fixed on Him and we tune our ears to His kind voice.

We are in the midst of a season of deep loss and hard things, which makes me so grateful for His very real presence and comfort and for every day I have to spend with the ones I love.

Life is complicated and heartbreaking sometimes. But it also really beautiful and really short. Don’t forget to celebrate. ❤️

12/13/2024

I try to get a personalized ornament every few years … this was a big year for us so wanted to get something that captured our family in this season. Absolutely love this one I ordered from Etsy!! You send a current pic and she sketches out and hand-paint’s them 😍
Didn’t send out Christmas cards, but wishing everyone a joy- filled, peaceful Advent season! ❤️🎄🎁

For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.

-Isaiah 9:6-7

02/25/2024

Got to spend a little time at a monastery last week. I’ve been wanting to go for awhile and since last week our church was focusing on the practice of “solitude” I decided to go for it.

I was in my little room talking to Jesus about how I feel there is a new season on the horizon but I don’t know where He is leading. I feel like I’m missing something… like I’m floating out to sea just waiting for some kind of map to drop in my lap and tell me where to go.

I struggle with not taking action if I don’t know enough to feel secure. I’m realizing that means information has become my security, not God…

I know trust is the bigger goal because it grows my capacity for peace in the present, regardless of any future outcome. Trust is the antithesis of anxiety, or maybe the cure?

I know that is true but I don’t live like I believe it.

Anyway, as I went downstairs to explore I passed by a quote on the wall from Thomas Merton (who I love reading!) and they even had little cards of the same quote printed out to take with you (Thanks Jesus 😉)

“My Lord God,

I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.

But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope that I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.

And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust in you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.

I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.

Amen.”

So maybe it isn’t so much the what as it is the why. If your truest desire/heart is to love, honor, and walk with God, then the rest is just details…

Lord help me release my grip on the details and the obsession of wanting to know it all. I trust that you hold the map… and I know You are a much better navigator than I am. ✨✨✨✨✨

02/14/2024

Me and Goose were “interviewed” Sunday at church about practicing Sabbath. It was terrifying. I couldn’t sleep the night before and woke up with a terrible stress headache, imagining all the different ways I could embarrass myself on stage. I thought for sure I would trip up the stairs or throw up mid sentence. But it was fine. We said yes to something scary, and we didn’t die. 😬

Now that my nerves have had a day to recover, I am glad we did it. There are very few subjects that could get me on a stage in front of a couple hundred people, but spiritual disciplines are one of them. Practicing Sabbath and these other rhythms have changed me, my marriage, my family… they really are a gift. ✨ ‘s book The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry inspired us to start Sabbath a few years ago- highly recommend this book and if you are interested in learning more!! 🎉

01/29/2024

Restock in Monroe… the most beautiful, relaxing spa you’ve ever seen 🤩 Book a massage or facial (my fav!) and stop by their retail area to grab a Dawn Whipped Tallow or Lip Balm. ✨✨✨✨ ✨

01/27/2024

Last night was the celebration ceremony of the discipleship group I’ve been a part of since last January. (2nd pic is a much more accurate depiction 😆 ) I learned so much from these women this past year and was constantly blown away by their depth of wisdom and faith and willingness to be vulnerable.

I was nervous to join a long term group like this… I struggle with commitment sometimes. But I’m realizing more and more, formation takes time… there is no quick fix or overnight success. Discipleship to Jesus truly is a “long obedience in the same direction.”

If you get the opportunity to be a part of something like this, say yes. All our “yeses” to things that stretch us add up, and before you know it, you’re different… more free… more comfortable with the unknown… more of who God created you to be. You start seeing a whole where there used to be fragments. Not completely whole because there is always more to explore, but better. So much better. ✨ Thank you ladies, what a privilege ❤️

#2023

01/23/2024

Today is my half birthday. I have never celebrated a half birthday in my life and I’m not actually celebrating today, but I am thinking about it. 6 months until 40… It feels significant. This whole year feels significant. Not in a “New Year, New You” resolution sorta way… no, it feels more like I’m finishing up the first half of the Appalachian trail and am about to start the second half.

And I’m looking at my pack with eyes of experience thinking… what was I carrying that was unnecessary and what’s actually important for the journey ahead?

I find myself pondering what does it mean to live the second half well? I read so much about “longevity” and “anti-aging”… It’s fascinating but I don’t actually want to spend my life trying to stay young forever… and I don’t really worry about death. My Hope is secure.

But I do want to spend my time well. With intention. I think a big part of the second half is helping those behind you on the journey. Being open to sharing what you’ve learned… the good, the bad, and the holy. I want to be generous with what wisdom I’ve gained, but i still feel like I have so much to learn 😅

If you are farther along, I would love to hear what you left behind, and what you picked up in the second half. I started a 40 for 40 list that I would love to add to- books, trips, words to live by… if you come across something life changing, send it my way 🙌

01/16/2024

Tallow/Life Update ✨ Thank you everyone for your orders during the holiday season! It was so fun getting to share these products that have worked so well for me. Unfortunately, (in true Lily fashion) I thought I could handle waaaaay more than I actually could and got a little overwhelmed with the logistics of everything. 😅

Honestly the biggest challenge was our kitchen. I use the sinks, oven, and stove to make the products… and all the other equipment/supplies just took over the room.

Our kitchen/dining area is the main hub of our home and is usually full of people and meal making and school work… so having a tallow biz setup in there 24/7 is just not sustainable.

Now after a few weeks contemplating how to move forward, my solution is to make small batches once a month. I will have everything on the website until it sells out and then restock the next month. I hope this keeps things manageable with the season we are in.

I should have the next batches done by this Friday, I’ll make a post when they are ready! If you want to reorder anything specific, let me know and I’ll add it to my list.

And thank y’all so much for bearing with me as I continue to refine this process. ☺️

01/01/2024

10th year of walking to the courthouse at midnight to celebrate the new year with people I love. One of my favorite traditions ❤️

12/13/2023

Looking for a teacher gift or stocking stuffer?? Flash sale on this bundle, ready to ship! Includes a peppermint tallow balm moisturizer and lip balm. Available for local delivery/pickup as well ☺️🎁☀️

12/13/2023

☀️ Flash sale!☀️ I have 8 of these gift sets, ready to ship! 🎉 A full size whipped tallow, a full size face/beard oil and a peppermint tallow lip balm! The whipped tallow and face oil have a woodsy scent, great for the guys, but I’ve found a lot of women like the deeper scent as well! 😎