I love to write adult Christian fiction, stories that explore the unseen world, faith in the midst of trials, and God’s presence in extraordinary circumstances. I enjoy it deeply.

But in the summer of 2025, something happened that nudged me in an unexpected direction.

My wife and I had the opportunity to travel to Norway, and one of our stops took us all the way north to Tromsø. As we explored the town, I noticed something that stood out as unordinary. Instead of the usual “bird spikes” we so often see on buildings here in the U.S., the Norwegians had built something different. They created a bird hotel away from the main buildings, giving the seagulls a safe place to nest while also keeping the walkways clean.

That small act of creativity and compassion struck me. Rather than fighting against the birds, the people had found a way to live in harmony with them. It was practical, yes, but it was also imaginative. And that idea stuck with me.

Out of that moment came the spark for my rhyming children’s book Goodnight, Gull.

Why a children’s book, when I’ve spent years writing adult fiction? Because stories for children plant seeds. They shape how kids view the world, teaching them to see wonder, kindness, and God’s love in everyday things, even in a noisy seagull. Writing this book was my way of capturing that spark of inspiration and turning it into something parents and children can enjoy together, while opening the door to deeper conversations about creation, compassion, and God’s care for even the smallest creatures.

It’s different from what I usually write, but it carries the same heartbeat: pointing people, young and old, toward the light of God’s love and His character.

So while I’ll continue to write in the adult fiction world, I’m grateful that God used a simple bird hotel in Norway to remind me that sometimes we’re called to create new kinds of stories, stories that help little hearts learn how to say “goodnight” with peace and joy.