Community Profile

"The love life of a Christian is a crucial battleground. There, if nowhere else, it will be determined as to who is Lord." - Elisabeth Elliot

What is 'To the Hilltops'?
The idea for 'To the Hilltops' was born during a chat session between Sharon and Tamara one evening in the fall of 2010 when we were discussing how infrequently (and often unhelpfully) the church takes up the more difficult topics of womanhood. It seemed to us that we were hearing more and more often from Christian women regarding a longing for a space in which they could discuss the issues of singleness, dating, breakups, chastity, sex, marriage, feminism, motherhood, etc. And so we thought, "Why not create one?"

Think of 'To the Hilltops' as the online equivalent of the late night talks you have with your older sister or closest woman friend. You know the ones; they usually involve hot chocolate or wine, warm blankets, and advice that you can't get from anywhere or anyone else. In short, this is a safe space where Christian women can gather and puzzle through what being a Christian woman means and what kind of ethics that title demands. It's a place in which to explore pre-conceived notions, ask tough questions, shed guilt, celebrate other women, and - our greatest hope - grow deeper in relationship with Christ.

Who are we?
Currently, Sharon (syf), Tamara (tamster), and Kay (young_laugher) will be posting on a set weekly schedule. We hope to bring on more writers in the future, but in the meantime, if you'd like to submit a topic for discussion or to write a guest post, please email tothehilltops AT gmail DOT com

Kay whisks through half a dozen books a week, even when she doesn't have spare time, and justifies this by reflecting that books are her trade as well as her love. She writes and edits on a freelance basis (you can peek at her website if you hop over to For Want of a Nail), takes undue pleasure in homemaking endeavours, especially if they involve counter-cultural self-sufficiency, and rejoices in marriage to a foreigner of great integrity named David. Her friends light the windows of her life---and graciously forgive her deep-rooted inability to keep track of ordinary matters like charging and answering her cell phone. She is, most deeply, most definingly, one of the faithful in Christ Jesus.

Sharon is a newlywed who loves reading, crafting, writing letters, and trying out new recipes in her (admittedly limited) spare time. She and her husband, Jason, moved out to the Bay Area right after their wedding in the summer of 2010, where she is now a PhD candidate and he works as a business consultant and pastoral intern. Sharon has been participating in and creating Internet communities for almost as long as she has been online (currently she blogs at Bride Sans Tulle) and she also has a deep love for the Church and its daughters; thus, she's thrilled to marry those two interests in the form of 'To the Hilltops.'

Tamara is prone to always have something in her pockets. This was confirmed by the "Learning Styles" Questionnaire that she took in high school as being a normal thing. The consequent "tactile learner" diagnosis has been used as a license for collecting shiny things and wearing out snail mail letters from too much handling. Speaking of awesome letter-writing friends, she has a lot of them, and is grateful that pen and paper as well as modern technology have helped sustain these relationships while she is away at graduate school. Tamara loves to watch TV/movies, read, play guitar, drive long distances, eat cookies, and sleep. She loves Jesus better than ice cream (and she considers the latter to be rather good), and she is in the process of fathoming how deep his love is for her. It's taking a while, so she is grateful for "To the Hilltops", where she and other sisters can sort out this beautiful mystery together.

What is the commenting policy?
1. Be nice and be in prayer. We will be tackling some very difficult/sensitive issues, so please couch your remarks in a manner that acknowledges that.
2. No personal attacks on the bloggers or commenters. Basically, don't say to someone through the veil of the Internet what you wouldn't say to their face. (Anonymous comments have been disabled for this reason and because we are trying to build a community of deep honesty and trust.) Disagreement is fine - in fact, we welcome the multiple perspectives that such a community will engender! - but calling someone stupid or telling them they are not a Christian because of their actions or opinions is decidedly not okay. Any personal attacks will be removed and any commenter who repeatedly violates this policy will be banned.

Having said that, your comments are the fuel that make this blog run, and we consider it an honor that you share your thoughts with us!

So, what does 'To the Hilltops' mean?
This blog takes its name from a John Buchan quote: "You have chosen the roughest road, but it goes straight to the hilltops." We encountered it in Elisabeth Elliot's Passion and Purity, where she writes that it is an apt metaphor for the Christian who seeks to follow God's will - and, we posit, an apt theme for the woman seeking to submit her love life to God.

Have a question that's not answered here?
Email tothehilltops AT gmail DOT com and one of the mods will get back to you.

Note
In the interest of facilitating honest and safe conversation, To the Hilltops posting is currently viewable by members only. If you would like to be part of the dialogue, or even if you just want to read along, we encourage you to request membership (and maybe drop us an email letting us know who you are and what your username is?) and then to introduce yourself in the welcome post so that the brave women here can know who their community consists of.