Life update

A job, a book, and a grant

Dear Readers,

I have a couple of exciting life updates that I am eager to share with you. Since I graduated from seminary in December, life has been a roller coaster. But, thanks be to God…

I Got a Job

I will soon start a new job with a local nonprofit here in Lexington, KY, called Lewis House.

Lewis House is a ministry on campus at the University of Kentucky dedicated to the formation of students and community members at the intersection of Christian faith and academia.

The organization serves students and community members in a number of ways. They give scholarships and provide mentorship for a select group of students on UK’s campus. They offer students the opportunity to take Bible and other faith-based courses. They also host monthly lectures and release podcast conversations with leading Christian thinkers.

I’m really thrilled to be joining their team. With Lewis House, I’ve found a unique place where I’ll be able to use my passion and gifts for writing, thinking, and spiritual formation to serve others.

That said, as part of the position, I will need to raise my own salary. If you have been supporting my writing through this Substack, first of all, thank you. I am sincerely grateful for your generosity. Because of my new position with Lewis House, moving forward I am going to suspend further payments through Substack.

If you have been encouraged by my writing and would like to continue or begin to support my work, please visit Lewis House’s Give page and consider making a one time or monthly donation (go to the give page > click ‘select fund’ and choose ‘Michael Heard’). If you have questions, feel free to contact me at jmheard@lewishouse.org.

To be clear, I plan to continue publishing articles and poetry on a bi-weekly basis, making access free for everyone. But I hope you’ll consider supporting the Lewis House and specifically my work with the organization. I am truly excited about this opportunity.

But wait, there’s more…

I Wrote a Book

During my first year in Kentucky the pandemic hit, and that unique season gave me the time and space to write my first book.

Mr. Halick’s Planet is a middle grade children’s novel about a man named Todd Collins and his twin children, Evan and Jane, who visit a billionaire who has built a utopian paradise on his very own planet. Mr. Halick, their remarkable host, has filled his beautiful palace and garden with all kinds of scientific innovations (genetically modified plants and animals, engineered weather, perfectly nutritious food), surpassing every human limitation known to man — all of them but one… death. Will Mr. Halick find a way to live forever? And what are the unintended costs of his ambition? It is up to the children to expose Mr. Halick’s lies and deliver the planet from his schemes.

While I have yet to find a publisher, I am pleased to share some exciting developments regarding my journey towards the publication of Mr. Halick’s Planet:

Josh Tiessen, a Canadian international award-winning artist based in New York City, is creating a book cover and illustrations for my story.

I met Josh last year in Wilmore. I was immediately struck by the excellence and spiritual depth of his art. His work is beautiful and he is doing something important in bringing the beauty of the Christian story into many secular spaces. I encourage you to take a look at his website to see his art. My favorite piece at the moment is Agnus Dei.

I was also struck by how many of the themes Josh explores are consistent with those I wrestle through in my own writing, including ecology, technology, and faith. I reached out to him in the summer to see if he would consider partnering with me to illustrate my book. He read the manuscript and agreed.

My next challenge was to find the funds necessary to pay him for this work, which leads me to another exciting development…

I Received a Grant

In December, I received word that I was chosen by Creo Arts to receive a grant to help get Mr. Halick’s Planet illustrated and published.

Creo Arts is doing exciting work bringing the beauty of the gospel to the church through several different initiatives. They provide resources including short films, grants, and other content for Christian artists and churches interested in the arts. I am grateful to partner with them to help bring the arts to the church.

Please visit their website to learn more about their work. I will be sharing some updates about my project, including news about publication, developments with illustrations, and more in the coming year. Stay tuned!

I hope that you will continue to follow along with this newsletter. In an age when so many things are vying for our time and attention, I am grateful that you would spend a little bit of your day reading my work. I pray that I will be able to continue offering you something worthwhile.

God bless,
Michael

P.S. Check out my new website!