Tanner Olson has made a career out of inspiration: through his prose, poetry, podcasts, and public speaking. His first children’s book, All the Things I Say to God, will be released on April 29.
An unexpected challenge
When you open All the Things I Say to God: Learning to Pray Anytime, Anywhere, you’ll read that I’ve dedicated the book “To my favorite kids: the ones who call me Mr. Tanner, Uncle Tanner, and Dad.” But when I wrote the book, I didn’t know if I would ever be called “Dad.”
In 2021, after a year and a half of trying to start our family, my wife and I were diagnosed with unexplained infertility. Grief entered our story as we let go of the way we thought life would go. Our hearts broke while our minds filled with questions. Nothing prepares you for news like this. You’re handed something you never expected to carry, yet somehow, you’re supposed to keep moving forward. For months, we asked God why and how—until we finally began asking, what’s next?
That question led us—peacefully and confidently—to adoption. We filled out paperwork, met with a social worker, and prepared for the call that would change our lives.
As we waited to become parents, we watched friends start their families. As a writer, I kept looking for stories, for ways to offer words of hope. One day, while watching a friend read their young daughter a book, I wondered: Could I write a children’s book? I had written poetry and essays, but never anything like what I saw them reading. When I shared the idea with my wife, she asked, “If you could teach them anything, what would it be?”
The answer was immediate: Prayer.
Life is uncertain and often unfolds in ways we never expect, but prayer changes how we navigate the weight of our world. I wanted to give the families we loved a book that reminded them of the beauty and power of prayer—that God invites us to speak with Him anytime, anywhere, about anything.
The Concordia connection
When I look back, I see how this idea was planted in my mind years earlier.
During my junior year at Concordia University Wisconsin, I took a course on the Psalms with Pastor Tom Eggebrecht. As we studied Scripture, Pastor Eggebrecht repeatedly reminded us: God invites us to speak with Him. We saw how the writer of the Psalms prayed—with honesty, without holding back, bringing gratitude, praise, questions, silence, and fears before God. Pastor Eggebrecht assured us that the same is true for us. God welcomes us as we are with whatever we have, including our biggest emotions and deepest questions.
Prayer can often feel intimidating, uncertain, or even one-sided—but it’s really an open invitation to bring our whole selves to God, just as we are.
An unconventional career path
After I graduated in 2012, Pastor Eggebrecht encouraged me to keep writing. So, I did. I wrote poetry, prayers, stories, and essays. I started a blog, published books, and began sharing spoken word poetry and stories across the country. Without his friendship and encouragement, All the Things I Say to God wouldn’t exist.
Two months after signing the book contract for All the Things I Say to God, our phone rang on a Sunday morning. Our prayer had been answered. Sarah and I had been chosen to be parents. All the Things I Say to God is dedicated to the ones who call me Mr. Tanner, Uncle Tanner, and Dad, but the book is for everyone. This story invites each of us into the profound world of prayer and shows us that heartfelt conversations with God can occur anywhere, anytime, and about anything.
More about Tanner
Tanner Olson is an author, spoken word poet, and speaker living in Nashville, TN. He travels across the country sharing poetry and telling stories of grace and hope. His work has been described as “hopefully unique and inviting” as it blends faith, humor, and curiosity. Tanner is the author of multiple books, including Walk A Little Slower and All the Things I Say to God (Zonderkidz, April 2025). For more from Tanner, visit writtentospeak.com.
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