• Home
  • Devotionals
  • BiblePhone
  • Blogs
  • TV
  • Prayer
    • Submit Prayer Request
    • Prayer Requests List
  • Contact us
  • Romanian

Intercer Adventist News

Closer To Heaven

  • About us
    • About Adventist Church
    • About Intercer Adventist News
    • About Intercer
    • About Lucian Web Service
    • Latest News
    • Romanian Church News
  • News and Feeds
    • Intercer Adventist News
    • 60 Second SlideShows
    • “Adventist Tweets” Paper
    • Adventists on Twitter
    • Adventists on Google Plus
    • Bible Resources
      • Adventist Universities Daily Bible
      • Answers For Me
        • Dear God
        • Healthy Living
        • Life Notes
        • Spiritual applications
        • Vegetarian recipes
      • Better Sermons
        • Spirit Renew Quotes
      • Daily Bible Promise
      • E-GraceNotes
        • Bible Says
        • City Lights
        • Family First
        • Staying Young
      • Story Harvest
        • Personal Stories
      • SSNet.org
    • Churches & Organizations
      • Adventist News Network
      • Adventist Review
      • Adventist World Radio
      • Avondale College
      • Babcock University Nigeria
      • BC Alive
      • British Union Conference
      • Canadian Adventist Messenger
      • Canadian Union
      • North American Division News
      • Outlook Magazine
      • PM Church – Pastor’s Blog
      • Potomac Conference
      • Record Magazine – Australia
      • Review and Herald
      • Trans-European Division
      • Washington Conference
    • Health
      • Dr.Gily.com
      • Vegetarian-Nutrition.info
    • Ministries
      • 7 Miracle (Youth)
      • A Sabbath Blog
      • Adventist Blogs
      • Adventist Today
      • ADvindicate
      • Creative Ministry
      • Grace Roots
      • Romanian Church News
      • Rose’s Devotional
      • UNashamed
    • Personal
      • Alexandra Yeboah
      • Iasmin Balaj
      • Jennifer LaMountain
      • McQue’s View
      • Refresh with Tia
      • Shawn Boonstra
  • Sermons & Video Clips
    • Churches
      • Downey Adventist Church
      • Fresno Central SDA Church
      • Hillsboro Adventist Church
      • Mississauga SDA Church
      • New Perceptions Television (PM Church)
      • Normandie Ave SDA Church
      • Remnant Adventist Church
    • Organizations
      • Adventist News Network (ANN)
      • ADRA Canada
      • Adventists About Life
      • Adventist Education
      • Adventist Mission
      • Amazing Facts
      • Adventist Church Connect
      • BC Adventist
      • Church Support Services
      • In Focus (South Pacific)
      • IIW Canada
      • NAD Adventist
      • NAD Church Resource Center (Vervent)
      • NARLA
      • Newbold
      • Review & Herald
      • SECMedia
      • Video Avventista (Italy)
    • Ministries
      • 3AngelsTube.com
      • Answered.TV
      • AudioVerse.org
      • AYO Connect
      • Christian Documentaries
      • GAiN #AdventistGeeks
      • GYC
      • Intercer Websites
      • Josue Sanchez
      • LightChannel
      • Pan de Vida
      • Revival and Reformation
      • Stories of Faith
      • SAU Journalism/Communication
      • Spirit Flash
      • The Preaching Place (UK)
      • Toronto East Youth Nation
    • Personal
      • Esther-Marie Hartwell
      • McQuesView
      • Pastor Manny Cruz
    • Sabbath School
      • Ecole du Sabbat Adventiste
      • Sabbath School Audio Podast
      • Sabbath School daily
  • Resources
    • Bible and Bible Studies
    • Health
    • Music
  • All articles
  • G+ News & Marketplace
    • G+ News & Marketplace Group
    • G+ Page
You are here: Home / Archives for challenges

A New State of Mind

February 4, 2019 By admin

As each new year approaches, four cliché words consistently resurface in my mind: “New Year, New Me.” I must admit, thinking about a new year with a clean slate is exciting! I have the opportunity to start new hobbies, take on extra responsibilities, and reinvent myself. A new year also presents each of us the time to recover from the challenges that were thrown at us. 

This past year was one of the most difficult years I’ve ever experienced. I became newly engaged while trying to complete the last of my requirements before obtaining my degree. Between a graduation portfolio, full-time classes, two jobs, and a long distance relationship, my schedule left me with little time to study. I was surviving on coffee, small paychecks, and short frantic prayers. Everything felt so close, yet too far to grasp. I remember lying in bed at night with the overwhelming pressure weighing me down as I desperately prayed for the motivation to wake up the next morning just to do it all over again.

December eventually arrived and my senior year finally came to a close. I graduated with a BA in English, and immediately the pressure and anxiety melted away! All the last minute assignments and torturous late nights were over. I was sure that once I left college, life would be easy. Who was I kidding? In just one month, I’d graduated from college, gotten married, moved to Indiana, and am now trying to secure a new job in my new location. “Easy” isn’t exactly the word I’d use anymore. Now that it’s a new year, I’m finding it less exciting and more challenging to start fresh. I’ve always thought of myself as fairly adaptable, but I’ll admit, I’ve been struggling to adapt to this new stage of life with its unfamiliar obstacles.

We all have new stages we’re experiencing. Maybe for some of you it’s not graduating college. Maybe you are newly married, have added a new member to your family, or are exploring a different career path. Whatever the stage, it can be worrisome to start in unfamiliar territory. We’re creatures of habit – comfortable with our daily lives and repetitive schedules. Although a new start to the year is exciting, it’s for sure without its challenges and concerns. Joshua 1:9 says this, “Remember that I have commanded you to be determined and confident! Do not be afraid or discouraged, for I, the Lᴏʀᴅ your God, am with you wherever you go.” This particular verse is encouraging because I’ve experienced a lot of change, but despite these frightening changes, Christ remains the same.

Life will never be easy and we’ll always be entering a different stage, but we’re not alone. In this new year, I challenge each of you to take your unfamiliar experiences and instead of feeling anxious, choose to learn from them. Remain open to new changes with a positive attitude and allow God to turn them into growth! 

Madeleine Temple writes Indiana.

The post A New State of Mind appeared first on Answers for Me.

Read more at the source: A New State of Mind

Article excerpt posted on en.intercer.net from Answers for Me.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest

Like this:

Like Loading...

Filed Under: News and Feeds, Vegetarian recipes Tagged With: answers for me, been-struggling, challenges, christ, crossings, feeling-anxious, motivation, new thoughts, requirements, take-on-extra, unfamiliar

Digital Immigrants

December 3, 2018 By admin

Recently I listened to an online conference with a variety of speakers. I was especially impressed by several professionals addressing the challenges of parenting in the Cyber Age. Most parents and grandparents are “digital immigrants,” trying to raise children — “digital natives” — to be good digital citizens. This is not parenting for the thin-skinned or soft minded. These kids are wandering in the technological Wild West. Flash mobs are striking urban shopping areas. There are more than 2,000 online casinos with several million teens with a serious gambling habit. Twenty-five percent of children and adolescents “find” pornography while online. One-in-five children have been solicited online. Middle school age girls are involved in “sexting” messages.

Many people want to have children without actually parenting them. They avoid conflict and often believe they can remain friends with their children. According to one psychologist, parents now “lose control” of their children at age 11 (formerly at age 13). So parents cannot suddenly impose restrictions in the teen years. As all children are online, everywhere, anytime, they are suffering from higher rates of depression and obesity. Their sleep is more scattered, less consistent, and they go to bed later at night.

Some of the suggestions by pediatricians and psychologists:

*No television for children under age two (Sorry about those genius baby videos)
*A limit of two hours of daily screen time for children, including Internet use
*Only home-based Internet use for middle school children
*All home computers in a public area; possibly in bedrooms for high school age
*No bedroom TVs for children
*Parents and children should “friend” each other on their social media
*Consider collecting all phones from those attending parties and sleepovers
*Ask children to show parents that they understand privacy settings; no sharing of passwords with others
*Teach that being online is being in public
*Never send any message you wouldn’t say face to face

Open communication with parents is the goal. The use of online contracts by parents can provide talking points. Parents may announce and conduct regular computer and phone audits to see who/where they are visiting. Tracking and screening programs are available. Families need to have regular discussions about the meaning of terms such as “sexting.” Ask, Do you know of anyone subject to cyber bullying? Do you know anyone who has been bothered online? Of course, adults need to role model safe online and texting behaviors.

Parents can find helpful guidelines and resources from the American Academy of Pediatrics plus other agencies and groups. If you have children and don’t understand computers, smart phones or social media, get some education now. Hint: email is rarely used among the digital natives.

What happens to immigrants who do not learn the language and culture? You cannot afford to be cyber clueless.

Questions for personal journaling and group discussion:

1. What one principle of family technology use could you change right now?

2. How has technology use impacted your spiritual life?

Karen Spruill writes from Orlando, Florida.

The post Digital Immigrants appeared first on Answers for Me.

Read more at the source: Digital Immigrants

Article excerpt posted on en.intercer.net from Answers for Me.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest

Like this:

Like Loading...

Filed Under: Dear God, News and Feeds Tagged With: bothered-online, challenges, children, computer concerns, cyber concerns, internet, parental control, personal, resources, skinned-or-soft, suddenly-impose

Navigating Transition

October 9, 2018 By admin

I enjoy a variety of interests so it’s fairly easy for me to become involved in groups and issues. One of my latest adventures is joining an alliance of mental health providers who are interested in maternal/baby wellness. Postpartum depression and anxiety have become more recently recognized in the popular media as worthy of our attention and the need for support and possible treatment. I have had a personal interest for many years since I experienced a period of postpartum depression after the birth of our last child. Our group is just starting to figure out mission and goals but it’s really all about helping new mothers avoid postpartum mood disorders. Having a baby is a life changing event—physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually. I have always maintained that a lot of those issues involve grief and loss. Births involve change or loss of the former identity; change in relationships, finances, location of home; and change in body image and health, etc. Sometimes there is even loss of a grandparent, parent, or baby around time of the birth.

After our last alliance meeting I also received a phone call from a young colleague. She has been employed as a consultant for helping professional athletes transition out of their careers into “civilian” life. She is taking on a new job with the military where she will be involved in helping soldiers with the same kinds of transitions. We talked about her concerns regarding a retiring athlete who is having adjustment problems.

I immediately remembered a former client who was a semi-pro athlete and his struggles, including the need for in-patient treatment. Later I recalled when I worked with a retired career military man who transitioned to educational employment. His military expectations didn’t always align with the way things were done in a different setting. The distinct cultures for those who have made their careers inside a particular profession can result in a difficult time for creating the “new normal.”

I am seeing some similarity between postpartum grief and life transitions grief. Don’t many of us really experience periods of “postpartum?” Word origins of postpartum can mean “bringing forth” or “to bear.” Similar issues of loss and grief can occur when people finish, leave, or retire from a position within a very distinct culture (think language, uniforms, schedules, jokes, worldview!). It calls for a new birth of reorganization of support, daily schedules, and changes to relationships when that time has been fulfilled and a new identify must emerge.

Many people look forward to a new position, completion of a project, or to retirement. In another year my spouse may enter into a career transition that will mean changes for both of us. We will soon become part of a large generation dealing with “retirement” issues. I am increasingly aware that life phases can seem fearful, daunting or discouraging for some people. Acknowledging what we have accomplished or lost often helps us to more clearly see the path and possibilities forward—along with strong social support and faith for our futures.

Questions for personal journaling or group discussion:

1. What losses and gains have you experienced in a recent life transition?

2. If you could retire tomorrow, how would you like your life to change? Do you need to wait for some of those changes?

The post Navigating Transition appeared first on Answers for Me.

Read more at the source: Navigating Transition

Article excerpt posted on en.intercer.net from Answers for Me.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest

Like this:

Like Loading...

Filed Under: News and Feeds, Vegetarian recipes Tagged With: answers for me, careers, challenges, change, change-or-loss, health, life phases, military, mission, navigating transition, personal, position-within

Challenging Children

June 18, 2018 By admin

Eight-year-old Jessica wasn’t an easy child. A bossy, fussy girl with only a few friends, she frustrated and alienated even those who loved her the most. She threw tantrums over seemingly minor issues — “These socks hurt my feet,” or “This juice tastes yucky. I won’t drink it.” She became angry when her parents tried to leave her with a babysitter, often throwing herself down on the ground and screaming furiously. At bedtime, she demanded that her parents stay with her. Her teachers reported that she seemed overwhelmed, unable to concentrate. After school she came home saying the other girls hated her or that the teacher thought she was a dummy. At times, she could be a warm, funny girl who loved to giggle at knock-knock jokes, cuddle on the sofa with her mom or dad, and get thoroughly engrossed in her passion for horses. Most of the time she was unpredictable, and her parents were weary!

Stanley Greenspan, a leading child psychiatrist, finds the most frequent complaints from parents fall roughly into five patterns — one of which is a personality like Jessica’s, often described as fussy, finicky, and oversensitive. The others are described as self-absorbed, defiant, inattentive, and aggressive.

Over the years our thinking about children who face challenges in controlling their feelings and behavior has swung from one extreme to another. At one point, the accusing finger was directed at parents — it was their fault their children were impossible.  Then the other extreme — children are simply born this way, and parents have no choice but to learn to live with them. We now recognize that biology and upbringing work together, that early life experiences actually determine how some cells in the nervous system will be used. Parents make a dramatic difference in how their children use their wonderfully different natural abilities.

Children are a product of the unique and continuous interplay between nature and nurture. This interplay happens in your relationship with your child. No matter what your child’s natural tendencies are — whether she falls into one of the categories noted above, or how challenging a child’s behavior is to you — there are approaches, styles, and attitudes that you as a parent can bring to your family life that will enable your children to face their challenges more successfully.

Be realistic about parenting. Sometimes the best you can do is less than your “best.” Decisions about how to use your energy and time can be complex, but the key challenge is to anticipate and plan for what your family really needs from you.

Give your child the precious gift of time. In Greenspan’s work, he found that giving special, unstructured time — 30 minutes a day — to a child greatly enhances that child’s ability to meet the challenges of his or her own personality. It’s called nourishing availability!

Work towards a problem-solving orientation. The goal is to help your child anticipate, practice, and eventually master particular challenges. It has been said that, “Home should be a safe place to learn and practice new skills.”

Empathize with your child. If you don’t have the same sensitivities, it can be hard to imagine what life is like for your child. Over time you can master that, just as your child can master his own challenges.

Discipline with love. Children need both warmth and nurturing along with structure, responsibility and discipline. The challenge is to provide disciple that is gentle and respectful, while being firm.

Written by Susan E Murray

The post Challenging Children appeared first on Answers for Me.

Read more at the source: Challenging Children

Article excerpt posted on en.intercer.net from Answers for Me.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest

Like this:

Like Loading...

Filed Under: Dear God, News and Feeds Tagged With: answers for me, challeging children, challenges, family, finds-the-most, giggle-at-knock, over-the-years, parenting, parents, relationship, wonderfully

Belonging to a Small Church

December 20, 2017 By admin

In the Adventist world there are more small churches than medium sized or large churches. And most of the large churches are in institutionalized settings. Small church have their challenges, but there are benefits as well

Read more at the source: Belonging to a Small Church

Article excerpt posted on en.intercer.net from Vimeo / Stories of Faith’s videos.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest

Like this:

Like Loading...

Filed Under: Adventist Sermons & Video Clips, Church Support Services Tagged With: california, challenges, churches, faith, mountains, pacific-union, sized-or-large, stories-of-faith, the-mountains

  • 1
  • 2
  • Next Page »

SkyScraper

Intercer Ministry – Since 1997!

We’re on Pinterest!

Partners


The Seven Thunders Ministry

Recent Posts

  • Proverbi 21:29 – Apri la porta del tuo cuore
  • Are Christians Guilty of Political Opportunism?
  • Lesson 9.In the Psalms: Part 2 | 9.4 Wine and Blood | ALLUSIONS, IMAGES, SYMBOLS | LIVING FAITH
  • 28.05.2025 – Genesis Chapter 42 | BELIEVE HIS PROPHETS
  • How AWR’s Message Inspired 5-Year-Old Hannah to Boldly Share Her Faith | AWR360°

About Intercer

Intercer is a website with biblical materials in Romanian, English, Hungarian and other languages. We want to bring the light from God's Word to peoples homes. Intercer provides quality Christian resources...[Read More]

Lucian Web Service


Intercer is proudly sponsored by Lucian Web Service - Professional Web Services, Wordpress Websites, Marketing and Affiliate Info. Lucian worked as a subcontractor with Simpleupdates, being one of the programmers for the Adventist Church Connect software. He also presented ACC/ASC workshops... [read more]

Archives

Follow @intercer

Categories

[footer_backtotop]

Website provided by: Intercer Romania · Intercer Canada · Lucian Web Service · Privacy · Log in


%d