Hey you! Thanks for being here.

I recently looked down at my hands and saw the dried paint on my fingers and was reminded of what started off as a normal day nearly 30 years ago that became a sacred +  holy moment that is forever etched in my mind.

Through a few different ways in a matter of moments, that morning, the words heart + hand and an overwhelming drawing to surrender on an even deeper level to God filled my whole being.

I’ll be totally honest, I didn’t understand at that moment what I was being called to surrender to but everything within me was saying yes.

I remember feeling so overcome with emotion that my immediate physical response was to drop to my knees by my bed. That unmade bed became an altar that morning. As I once again surrendered to all that God was inviting me to.

I had been on my knees for maybe a few minutes and I heard my bedroom door open and in walked my daughter Alexis who was around 3 or 4 at the time. She was holding a paper in her hand and I knew at that moment that what was on that paper was for me. As she handed it to me she said “ look, Mommy! I drew you a hand and a heart!”

Needless to say, I was undone.  It’s a moment that to this day I can remember the details like it just happened. 

That moment of saying yes has been a journey of continuing to say yes to putting my hand to what’s in my heart. And that yes has taken on many expressions through the years. 

I think we can get so focused on the expression by that I mean “the doing” when it’s really about “the being” 

Who you are, is what touches everyone and everything around you.

So if you are in a season like I was for many years where your life revolves keep littles alive haha and all the things that come with raising a family you can be sure that who you are is greatly impactful on those little lives. 

Don’t ever let the enemy lie to you and make you feel like your life is on hold till they are grown. What a lie!  What an honor it is to have a front-row seat in the lives of these precious gifts God has entrusted you with.

The art of being who we were designed and created to be and that being expressed in the world through whatever way that is,

is what is good + glorifying to God.  

You were his idea!

I’ve been talking a lot about summertime and I love the connection this season has to a version of ourselves that was full of innocence + curiosity.

A time when our idea of what was fun + exciting and made us feel alive had nothing to do with some big activity or plan. 

Yet, had everything to do with how we lived fully in each moment and felt the freedom to receive and experience pure joy.

Delight and laughter came easy 

I think that’s why we love being around babies + children. We see in them the ability to live lightly and freely. Sometimes that “freely” is way too free for our liking… haha 

They have the wonderful ability to not be worried or preoccupied with tomorrow but are present to fully experience the moment they are in.

How different would your life look if you intentionally lived this way?

Not sure when you will be reading this, but this Tuesday, June 21st is the official 1st day of Summer and it’s also the day that the SHE IS SUMMERTIME art collection is being released.  If you are on my email list then you will be getting an early notification when things are live on the website. If you aren’t receiving emails from me and would like to. You can email me at susan@susanbeth.com and let me know and we will get you added! Or you can dm your email address on Instagram.

I’m really excited about this collection and I’m excited to share it in the way it has come to life within me these past few months.  You know I love to write out my thoughts and things that are speaking to my heart and that’s what I did with this collection. 

I’ve been encouraged and so compelled by the words of Jesus from Matthew 11 that we’ve been talking about the past few weeks. His invitation to live life freely and lightly brought up memories +  feelings of childhood summers for me. 

So I wrote some words from my heart which inspired some painting with my hands.  The colors are bright + summery and filled with love for this season we are in.

Throughout all of time humanity has needed to enter into the real rest that only comes through our relationship with God. so this is nothing new… But I think we would all agree that at the moment of time that we are living with 24/7 access to news and every kind of information out there. 

And I’ve gone back and forth in mind these last few weeks as I’ve been focusing on these rhythms of grace and sharing about living freely and lightly that it could come across as “sticking my head in the sand” and ignoring all the pain and in the world. But isn’t that what our faith is all about?! That our hope is in the God that is over and above all that we can see with our physical eyes and has invited us into a place IN HIM where we are able to live freely and lightly above any and every circumstance.

So I feel compelled to share the words, to share this invitation, to alongside my brothers and sisters, enter into this rest that he has provided for us.

And there's no better time than today.

 From what I’ve seen I’m pretty sure our city isn’t the only place experiencing hot temperatures this week. Wow has it been hot!!!

So I’ve been very grateful for the cool spaces I can go into and “be” that are available to me in this physical realm.

And can I remind you today that it’s no different in the realm that is more real than the one we can see…if you’re feeling hot and dehydrated and worn out from the heat….there’s a place where you can recover your life and find real rest.

So in a few short days, you can find this Summer collection on my website which is susanbeth.com. And there you’ll find these words I wrote which are also the names of abstract pieces of art that I hope will speak to you as well.

She is summertime  

Her bare feet in the grass

And the wind in her hair

Blowing dandelions,  watching them float and disappear

Boundless energy and imagination, without a single care

She was born in July 

with fire in her eyes

Sand between her toes 

dancing in the sunshine.

Running through creeks and making mud pies

Watching fireflies light up the night skies

Staying up late and sleeping in

Talking and laughing endlessly with her friends

Building layers of memories forever etched in her mind

She is forever sweet summertime