tothehilltops | Welcome

syf posting in

Hello and welcome to "To the Hilltops!" We're so glad that you are joining us and choosing to share in this journey toward an ethics of Christian womanhood.

Please view this post as an invitation to a comfortable seat beside a cozy fireplace. Come in, kick up your feet, grab yourself a cup of tea, and introduce yourself to everyone. Who are you? What brings you here? How do you see the need for a community like this one in your life right now?

Excitedly,
the mods (Kay, Sharon, and Tamara)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

novemberseas

To the writers in the group: forgive my bad grammar, run on sentences, sentence fragments, and over/improper use of the … I write the way I hear it in my head, as if I were talking to you. … is a better pause in my head then the ,
Consider yourself warned, please proceed with patience and have mercy on my writing :)

I really have no idea how to introduce myself...so here goes something...

My name is SarahJean, I am 25 and I hail (or hale) from the oh so exciting south central PA.
I am now really excited to be a part of this group, although I am by no means a writer (so Lonnie you and I shall be in good company, because I too am a stress mess.)Kay was my roommate in college for a semester and a floor mate for a year. I met Mel and Sharon through Kay as well, although I have not had the chance to spend much time with Sharon. I am so glad I will be able to get to know you and all the girls better.

So where I am in all of this: "It's complicated". I am 25 years old and grew up hearing many many many sermons about premarital sex, and chastity. But really all anyone ever said was DON'T DO IT, ITS A BAD. The only other thing I heard was "Guard your heart", which was way more helpful than any sermons I heard in junior high about not having sex. Seriously, there has to be more than that… and why can't we actually talk about it? I have thought and struggled with all the stuff we never talk about just like everyone else.

Right now I am as much a train wreck as I ever was. Struggling to find the woman I am supposed to be under the mess that I am right now. I am extremely thankful for the presence of God in my life even on the days I know I am walking the wrong direction. When I feel like I am the farthest away that I can get, and nothing about faith makes sense and I no longer know what I believe I have discovered this one truth that will hold me together forever: Jesus loves me. This I know.

That said I am in a very rocky place of life and relationship. I have been dating for nearly a year which frankly is just terrifying to me. I have been struggling with our relationship, communication and future for awhile now and could use some wisdom, love and support from women like you.
I have been pining for church family, for Christian friends, because they just get it, and understand better than my friends who are without faith. Maybe God has brought me all of you lovely women, to be my church family. I am so delighted to meet all of you and to be in a place where it is comfortable to talk about the unmentionables and awkward things in life.

Happy things about me are that I also drink tea like it’s my job, love to sew, knit, crochet, be crafty and cook/bake. More than anything in life I love …Food. I can’t even begin to explain how much I love food. I am constantly looking for new recipes, exotic foods, and watching the food network pining after a bigger kitchen, and a Kitchen Aid stand mixer. There is nothing better than a perfectly cooked Sea Scallop drenched in butter and lemon and a good glass of Riesling, besides maybe chocolate. Ok, fine I can’t pick a favorite because I love all food. Except ham. And I also love to travel, I love discovering new places, meeting new people, marveling at the wonders and beauty that God created. And of course International food.

OK so now that I can’t shut up and I am rambling, I am delighted to meet you all, and so glad that you have been divinely placed in my life.

From:

young_laugher

Also, I would like to add this: Despite Sarah's self-admitted stress-messness (hah! say that ten times fast!), she has the unique gift of not stressing out everyone around her---quite the opposite, in fact. She pretty much rocks people's socks off with her aura of kindness and affection and tea. You'd never know she bears burdens like nobody's business, because she's a protector of her friends' hearts.

I like trying to poke her into sharing her burdens sometimes. I'm evil like that. :-D

From:

novemberseas

My dear heart,
You are so sweet. I miss you with all my heart.
And thank you, I know that bearing of burdens I get from my mother and my grandmother...and I am glad to have a safe place and good friends to share some of my burdens with.

Ooo I forgot to say that I love to dance too!

From:

syf

if i start riting all my posts like this would it make ppl feel better about not being english majorz? english majorz can haz bad grammarz too.

;)

From:

llchang

dude, can i just say, i'm pretty dang sure we'll be REALLY good friends soon...and by soon i mean now. I really understand what you mean, your struggles are my struggles. i'm hitting a rough patch with my boyfriend as well...its kinda weird cuz sharon and tamara know him (hi sharon and tamara). i don't really know if this is the place the share or if there is like another entry thing? so I'll wait to someone tells me the go ahead...but girl...we should talk...hahaha

From:

mandapanda

Yo, Lons!
This is safe space ;)

I'm thoroughly loving all of this :D So many similar, yet unique individuals.

Also,the word unmentionables brings me to a wonderful anecdote: When I was on missions we were doing laundry one day, and the boys were warned to stay away from the girls laundry and vice versa, lest we should come across each others' 'unmentionables'. Too bad we couldn't keep the policy on the field when we were hand-washing everything...

From:

syf

LOL, Amanda! Pastor Matt made all the guys leave the room when we girls were packing our clothes for fear that they'd see our underwear. Then we got to India and had to line-dry everything in plain sight. Whoops. ;)

From:

llchang

hi amanda! i guess i didn't see your little shindig, but thanks girl!

From:

tamster

No worries Lonnie! I understand what you mean, it is probably a bit awkward since we do know him. Please know that you are our sister first, and that the things that you share will be kept in the confidence of that. JG does not exist in this realm :)

From:

trackers

Hooray!!! Welcome Sarah! :) I miss the college days as well. And I do so love food. What say we get together sometime and eat and reminisce? :) And catch up, too, because that is long overdue.

From:

novemberseas

Absolutely!!!! :) I would love that.

From:

smikaya

Good gracious. Is it really possible that I have found my long lost twin who is creepily also named Sarah? Okay, if your birthday is also in November I may send for DNA testing.
Regardless, I am glad to be in the (virtual) presence of someone else who writes in the style of the "head-voice" (somehow I sound so much smarter in there!), and shamefully lusts after a custom kitchen. Hey, maybe we can move in together and cook/eat into a beautiful oblivion where grammar and spelling do not exist. I'll bring my Kitchen Aid Mixer!

(....and pray that Kay will still be my friend after my grammar bashing)

From:

novemberseas

November 25th 1985... I want the white mixer with the breast cancer pink ribbon on it, and I want granite counter tops and cherry cabinits, and a really big stove...and the HGTV dream home. :)
Whats your middle name, and are you with H or H-less ?
Oh the infinite number of bosom friends I have acquired in the past week is totally unbelievable.
Seriously oneday we all need to get together for real slumber party.