Network media, like Good Morning America, ABC News and Today, have given coverage to the new documentary, "Jesus Camp." (Read my review here.)

ABC News is launching a new hour show and is offering viewers a chance to send in short video clips of their comments on various topics. One topic is "Jesus Camp." The last topic open for discussion is Stacie Orrico's new tour.

The irony is that both of these topics are related to Christianity. "Jesus Camp" focuses on one extreme, training children to be warriors for God. Stacie Orrico is on the other end, Christian teen pop star making her name in the mainstream music industry. Both topics cause a great deal of controversy and discussion among Christians, centered mostly on how "in the world" Christians should be, and how much should Christians separate themselves from the world.

There's no easy answer. While there are thousands of devout Christians who function quite nicely every day in mainstream America, there are probably more who conform so much you can't tell the difference. There are also thousands of Christians who set themselves so far apart from the world that don't they let their lights shine before men.

The answer has to lie somewhere in the middle. The thing to remember is that we shouldn't be seeking fame, fortune, success or political gain, but Christ. That's what "Christian" means - Christ follower, or little Christ. What you do is completely dependent on who you follow.

In yesterday's mail I received a copy of Mike Zale's new EP, The Safe EP. It's been a long time coming out because it also includes a video for one of the songs that took longer in editing than expected. This is a great looking project, and the music is great, too. Check it out at www.mikezale.com.

Scout came home yesterday, feeling oddly peppy and exuberant for a dog with stitches in a very intimate part of his body.

Today is the first day without tranqualizers. After five weeks of a sedated puppy it'll be interesting to see him normal again. (I use the word normal loosely. Already this morning he's had a lovely manic fit.)

Last night at 6:45 PM, five weeks almost to the hour that Scout broke his leg, his cast came off! Not by the vet, though. In a manic fit that found him pushing himself around the living room floor he simply slipped his leg out of his cast. (You'd think with all of the peanut butter and Milk Bones he's had over the last five weeks he'd be a super fatty and the cast would be cutting off his circulation ...)

Surprisingly, the ER vet didn't need to see him. She just told us to keep him very calm and crated and to call our vet this morning. Today, we went to see Dr. Braaten, and much to our relief, after five weeks the break is healed very nicely. I saw the xray - it's amazing the difference from three weeks ago. Dr. B said the break is not completely healed, and that the leg now needs to get stronger, so Scout is still on crate rest, minimal walking to go potty, etc. for the next couple of weeks. But all of my neurotic, overprotective puppy mothering has paid off. He's almost back!!

Well, almost. Monday, he goes in to get neutered and then he'll be back. Most of him, anyway.

Learn Something New Every Day

I've been working on this project over the past month or so, collecting bits of information that I'm going to collect into a booklet called, Learn Something New Every Day. My grandpa Sheerin would always make that statement, "Well, you learn something new every day," not as a directive but as a statment of fact. Like it or not, you learn something new every day.

I've learned over the years that I probably don't learn something new every day, and in fact forget more than I learn. But I am a collector of odd bits of information, and one day a few weeks ago decided to just compile 365 facts, like:

- John Adams, the 2nd President of the U.S., and Thomas Jefferson, the 3rd President of the U.S., both died on the same day, July 4, 1826.

- Cats sleep from 13 to 18 hours a day but half of that is spent in a light sleep, hence the term "cat nap."

- The difference between light rain and a drizzle? Drizzle is measured at 14 drops per square foot per second; light rain is measured at 26 drops per square foot per second.

- A mosquito bite draws out one one-millionth of a gallon of blood.

- Only the female mosquito bites.

- A typical 20x20 ft. pool, 5' deep, contains almost 15,000 gallons of water.

- Sheep will not drink from a running stream or other running water.

- Scrubbing floors burns as many calories per minute as playing tennis (.049)

Anyway, that's a sampling of oddball things I've found over the past few weeks that'll be included in the booklet. If you have any more trivial information that you'd like to share, feel free to send it along. Make sure to include the source so it can be referenced.

One of the challenges of writing is coming up with something interesting to say on a deadline.

I have three columns due this week and quite frankly I'm boring myself to tears so I'm hard pressed to find something that won't bore my readers to tears as well.

I'm not feeling funny and I'm overwhelmed taking care of this puppy (who, this morning, looked for a while like he was possessed, what with the wild eyes and the barking and yipping and whining and digging in the blankets and nipping at my hands. Either that or he's really pissed off that he has to wear a bigger lampshade because he could still chew his cast with the smaller one ... but I digress).

So how do you write when you have nothing to say? You pray and start typing. Eventually some little useful nugget will show itself and you can move on from there. It's the same thing you have to do on those mornings when you don't want to go to work and you're out of sick days. You get up, take a shower and move step by step through your day.

See, all this freelancing really is just like a regular job. (big wink)

What's Up Entertainment

Just a reminder for those of you who have this page bookmarked, don't forget to head over to my website, www.JoanneBrokaw.com. On the What's Up Entertainment page, we've added a new giveaway, called Clean Out The Closet. I have stacks and stacks of CDs and books that we're going to start giving away randomly to people on the What's Up mailing list. Make sure you're on that list, which is separate from my personal list.

September 11th

At the risk of sounding heartless, I have to confess that I simply can't watch another 9-11 newscast or special. I was sickened last night to watch Katie Couric do a story on 60 Mins criticizing the EPA for not forcing the rescuers to wear face masks to avoid inhaling the debris and chemicals at the crash site. Perhaps Ms. Couric would have preferred that the rescuers take time to get an air quality evaluation before they started digging in the rubble to search for survivors. Yeesh. The whole thing makes my stomach hurt.

I am not opposed to remembering what happened on 9-11. In fact, I highly recommend that you grab a copy of United 93, the movie about the plane that crashed in a field in PA on 9-11. It's a real time drama that depicts the highjackers and the passengers with no editorializing and no commentary. Just a moment by moment depiction of what likely took place that day. It's extremely disturbing and a must see for every American.

Update on Scout

I went to see Dr. B today and he said I've been a good boy and that my leg is just starting to heal. He gave me a new cast (I think he is a Green Bay Packers fan) and told me that I have to stay calm for another three weeks. Then he'll take another x-ray and put a new cast on, because I'm growing so much!

I'm getting very bored and I'm starting to think that my mommie and daddy are putting something in my peanut butter treats to make me sleepy. But I'm happy that I'm getting better, because I really can't wait to chase the cat around the house.

Crikey? What happens next?

What do the death of croc hunter Steve Irwin and the prayers of teen musician Leeland Mooring have to do with missions? Find out in this week's Missions for Chickens column.

Joanne

My article on Sara Groves' new documentary, "Just Showed Up For My Own Life," is available in the Sept/Oct online issue of Christian Music Planet.