Kim Gentry Meyer Talks About Her New Book, Paintings & Prison Ministry

Kim Gentry Meyer, Mrs. Massachusetts 2020 and award-winning singer/songwriter/poet and painter, has released her debut book, Herald Reflections, from Fitting Words. The gorgeous new inspirational book (part devotional book, part art book) has already achieved Top 100 Amazon Best Seller status in pre-release, hitting #39 on the Christian Meditations chart.

Her debut album, Herald, was released to critical acclaim in August 2023 from NWN Records and Integrated Music Rights (part of the Integrity Music family) and was named one of the Top 12 Albums of 2023 by Today's Christian Entertainment alongside music from Katy Nichole, Phil Wickham, Jason Gray, Christy Nockels, Cory Asbury, Riley Clemmons, and more. 

Now Herald Reflections, the companion book to her Herald album, melds Meyer's musical and visual artistic gifts with her strong writing ability to give praise and honor to God and encouragement to others. 

Q: Reflecting on your latest album Herald, what are you proudest of regarding the record?

The thing about my Herald album that I'm most proud of is that each song is packed with Bible verses. I believe songs are most powerful when they are anchored in the Word. These anchor scriptures are all included in my Herald Reflections book so readers can reference them when they listen to the songs. 

Q: How did your creation of the Herald album lead to this new book?

After the Herald album was released, I found myself telling the stories behind the songs so often that I began realizing I needed a better way to share them. I had also created a painting for each of the eight songs, and I needed a way to show those, too. Creating a book seemed like the best way to minister to more people and give them the full Herald experience. 

Q: Could you tell us what Herald Reflections is about?

Herald Reflections is a multimedia devotional book with eight themed chapters. Each chapter includes a QR code link to a song from my Herald album, the lyrics to the song, the painting I created for each song, the anchor scriptures used, a brief devotional (called a "reflection"), questions, and a prayer. I believe it to be the only book of its kind in terms of the way the three art forms are incorporated and organized. The book is well-suited for both individual and group study. 

Q: Tell us about your Herald paintings.

While I was creating my Herald album, I asked the Lord what else he wanted me to do to be His herald, and I heard Him say to my spirit, "Paint." He began placing images of sunsets in my mind, and the eight Herald paintings you see in the book are my attempt to translate the images He gave me. 

Q: How did you start working in prison ministry?

The Lord had laid it on my heart to minister in our local jail several years ago, but due to Covid restrictions and some other timing challenges, I wasn't able to get in until last year. I found that I loved it but wanted to do something more than just going in with my church group, because only a few women would show up for our weekly Bible study sessions, and I wanted to encourage more women. The ladies were interested in painting, so the jail administration allowed me to start a painting class earlier this year. I have around fifteen women in my class, and I'm teaching them to paint a simplified version of each of my Herald paintings. This has allowed me an opportunity to share my book with them, which has led to many wonderful conversations. 

Q: What are some of the key points from your prison curriculum, and how can the average reader incorporate them into their own creative and/or life journey?

One exercise I do with the women in my painting class is to ask them to reflect on my Herald sunset paintings and think about what they want the sun to set on in their own lives (i.e. what do they want to stop or give up). Next, I ask them what they want the sun to rise on in their lives (i.e. what do they want to start or bring into their lives). They write their answers down and keep them with their paintings as a reminder. I did this exercise myself and found it incredibly helpful, so I recommend it to everyone who reads my book.     

Q: What special considerations went into designing Herald Reflections?

I wanted a book that was easy to read, easy to hold, and easy to incorporate into busy lives. I considered size and font carefully to prevent eye strain, because I know how much tiny print frustrates me. I also kept the devotions brief, because I always appreciate when a piece of writing gets to the point quickly. If you have five minutes, you can get something out of my book. I allowed for a generous margin so people with limited hand mobility can easily open the book and access all content.

And although most art books are hardcover, I chose softcover to keep the price point down and to enable its use in correctional facilities. I also invested in very high-resolution photographs of my paintings so the quality of the images would not be compromised by the printing process.

Finally, I wrote out all the anchor scriptures so readers don't have to stop to look them up. My goal was to give everyone reading my book a seamless and accessible experience, and I'm grateful that my publisher, Fitting Words, was willing to working tirelessly with me to make this happen. 

Q: How do you hope your new book will encourage your readers?

I pray Herald Reflections draws people closer to the Lord and encourages them in whatever season they're going through. Since the book includes so many elements, I'm hoping to cast a wide net of readers. I just want to minister to as many people as possible. They can either take the book in all at once as an immersive multimedia experience or engage with the pieces separately, whether that be looking at the artwork, reading the song lyrics as poetry, listening to the songs, or reading the devotional section.

I also hope the book inspires readers to step out of their comfort zone like I did and use their giftings to be a herald. I hope they ask the Lord the same questions I did: "Lord, who am I to you?" and "Lord, what can I do to be Your herald?" If more people do this, think of the Kingdom impact that can be made! 

Herald Reflections is currently available on Amazon.com and kimgentrymeyer.com. For art prints, music, and more, visit Meyer's online store.

For more information about Kim Gentry Meyer, Herald Reflections, and Herald, visit kimgentrymeyer.com. To stream the music from Herald, click here. To view Meyer's "Mind of Christ" music video, click here. 

Follow Kim Gentry Meyer on Facebook and Instagram. Read Kim Gentry Meyer's "Daybreak Devotions and Nighttime Prayers" columns in The Christian Post's online magazine, Crossmap.com.

 

 

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