Moving day

Posted by Doug Hibbard

Moving day is going to be November 7! So, here we go.

Any help is appreciated. All prayers greatly appreciated!
Doug Hibbard
http://doughibbard.blogspot.com

From my Blackberry
I'll write more when I've got a keyboard!

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New Blog title.

Posted by Doug Hibbard

A note to loyal readers of BubbatheRev...


For reasons that are not specifically clear, I've moved my blogging over to a new domain title here on Blogger. I've been BubbatheRev here and on several other sites for several years, and just felt like it was time to grow past that a little. I've redirected my site feeds, and will some day pull the plug entirely over here, in case someone else wants the domain.


So, all my new blogging occurs here: Doug Hibbard's Blog at http://doughibbard.blogspot.com


Also, Ann and I have a joint blog project going at ReflectionsonProverbs.blogspot.com


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Book Review: If God is Good

Posted by Doug Hibbard

Book Review: If God is Good by Randy Alcorn
Doug Hibbard
September 25, 2009


Ok, I actually get the opportunity to review books for a couple of publishers. This one is from Multnomah publishers. It's entitled If God is Good. It's by Randy Alcorn, who has a decent track record of writing both fiction and non-fiction.





This book is Alcorn's attempt to tackle the problem of evil. The theological term for this is “ theodicy,” attempting to justify God's existence and reconcile it with the existence of evil. The normal person term for this is “ life,” as in, “If God is good, why does bad stuff happen?” Sometimes our questions come from big bad stuff like wars and abortion, sometimes it's personal bad stuff like cancer and AIDS, job losses and car accidents. All through, Christians are taught and teach to others that God is good, that fundamentally, good wins out over evil in the world.


Well, a 200-word or so book review cannot adequately deal with the philosophical issue, and shouldn't. My question is “Does Randy Alcorn provide a reasonable response to these questions?”


I would say that yes, his responses are adequate for the Christian reader. He reinforces his points with both Scripture references, historical examples, and literary references from other Christian writers. His application of Scripture is not ground-breaking, but this is a strength rather than a weakness, as he is not pushing a radical shift in theological thinking. His historical examples and literary references go to reinforce his points well and give him credibility by citing the words of those who have suffered what he has not. All told, what he has constructed is a well-illustrated (word illustrations, that is) example of the general evangelical viewpoint: God is good is not up for discussion,but how God's goodness allows evil is discussed.


Will this work stand as an apologetic work, to explain to non-believers what God is up to with suffering? Probably not. Yet I don't think that's quite his intention. Rather, I think his intention is to strengthen believers in the face of these arguments.


One last word is due here. While I think that some in crisis will find comfort in this work, it's also not a book to wait for evil to hit before you read. In my opinion, this book is better read first in the calmness of everyday chaos, before the waves of major catastrophe strike. Mark it up, highlight, use the little Post-it Flags I love so much to highlight major points, and then refer back in times of crisis.


In all, this is not a must-read, but it is definitely a should-read book. If you want to make sense of suffering from a Biblical perspective, start here. Randy Alcorn's If God is Good is worth the read.




Doug
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from Multnomah Press in exchange for the review.

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Daily Journal September 22 2009

Posted by Doug Hibbard

September 22, 2009—Daily Journal.


Well, today's not exactly starting well, mostly because last night ended badly. I spent 2 hours on the “support chat” with AT&T to try and get my Blackberry Data Service working again. Not fast, mind you. I didn't insist it work as fast as my wife's identical Blackberry sitting right beside it with the same application. I just want it to work. Really, it's a nearly critical piece of technology that allows me to not stay in an office all day. If it works. Which it doesn't. The phone part works, but the data? I can get emails, but not use applications. If I get the web working, I lose the email functionality. So, I spent 2 hours with AT&T support, where the guy gave up and will be calling me Wednesday to see if it's gotten better, and left me with a 1 web page of directions, which I followed, which did nothing but keep me up later. So, this morning I'm short half a night's sleep, and the half I got was broken up by storms and cats going nuts because of storms. (Anybody want a cat?)


Meanwhile, in the real world, there are people with real problems, like the folks in Georgia. There's not many places that can handle 15 inches of rain over about an hour. I guarantee you Atlanta metro is not one of them. I doubt the land could handle it before it was 90% covered in concrete. And concrete, well, it doesn't have a high absorbency.


So, I'm sitting here this morning feeling a little selfish for whining about my phone, because there are people with real problems. Then I think about the fact that last year AT&T screwed up my other phone when one of the hurricanes came through the Gulf and drove evacuees off the coast. Local emergency management folks were trying to get in touch with me about using our church as a shelter and couldn't, because AT&T can't keep my account working. And I know it's not the billing, because Ann does that, and does it well.


So, I'll be praying for the folks in Georgia and the Southeast with their flooding issues. Especially for our dear friends in it in Atlanta. I won't be praying for patience, because when you have AT&T God is already teaching you patience.


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