Getting Nuanced; Babies takeover AI; Ninja ice cream

3 Things this week and a poem

Welcome to the weekend, a long one in Ontario, and a much needed one, if I may say so. I mowed my grass, thought about some landscaping, walked through a few greenhouses, and jumped in the pool.

Here’s an outtake from my pitstop at a popular local nursery, where the ferns were furious and, if I had the luxury of the new Canadian government and didn’t have to budget, I would have spent so much money without regret. (But I do budget, so I bought one dahlia and a few geraniums, but I wanted SO MUCH MORE).

Thanks for spending part of your weekend with Things I Wrote Down. Here are three things that jumped out at me on the web, and a poem that will help you pray for people, whether foe or friend.

Getting Nuanced

I was there in person for the conversations as they were being filmed. Now that they're released, I'm so excited to share the first two episodes of the 15-part podcast series we created for the Unto Jesus campaign at Compassion.

In these honest, heart-tugging episodes of Nuance, Compassion International's new series, well-known Christian voices from different walks of life are paired together to answer hot topic questions they didn’t get to see in advance.

In Episode 1, bestselling author Julie Lyles Carr and beloved TV personality Aarti Sequeira dive into the tension many families feel balancing elder care and child-rearing.

In Episode 2, Austin Rockwell (pastor, DJ, and founder of Kamp Love) and Heather MacFadyen (host of Don't Mom Alone) open up about their journeys through burnout, striving, and ask What happens when ministry becomes your drug—and rest feels like failure?

It's great viewing! There's a new episode dropping every week.

Babies take over AI

If you had any doubts about AI, whether it's good or evil or if it will supplant and replace us, you may have been encouraged this week. In fact, maybe whatever happens no longer matters since it produced these videos that took over the internet.

@robbiandrews#duet with @user530514661753 #judy #judgejudy #babies

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Seeing Bernie Sanders, Trump, Judge Judy, RFK Jr., and Theo Von as babies was a great detour this week.

Imagining people you can't stand as their baby-self is a great strategy to think of enemies with compassion and love. Now AI is helping us do just that. We were afraid it would destroy us. Maybe AI will heal us 😂

Ninja ice cream

I continue to hear such great things about this ice cream maker. I think I need one. In fact, I think we all do.

As someone who tracks his macros, I've heard from the fitness bros online that it makes delicious, protein rich, healthy ice cream that's worth writing home about.

If you have one, I'd love to hear how awesome it really is (or if it's just hype).

Tell me what I want (or don't want) to hear about this Ninja:

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A poem

Since we’re imagining famous people as kids, how about we say a prayer for the people we love. I enjoy the simplicity of this poem, which I wrote first with my nephew in mind, back in the day, when he was a bundle of perfect cuteness.

It’s a poemprayer I like to use for people in my life that I love, and helps me imagine, in a simple way, just how God might view all of us.

I hope it encourages you,

~ AK

PS. That poetry contest I’ve talked a lot about in the last few months closes soon. Entries need to be in by May 31. If you’re thinking about it (or are just hearing about it) here are all the details.

Subscribers can submit and win cash prizes.

I'm hosting a poetry contest with cash prizes