The Session: Children of Divorce

Psalm 27:10, "Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me"

Key Statistics and Findings Relational Wisdom 360

• Religious Impact: Children of divorced parents are more likely to become nonreligious; 35% of children from divorced families are nonreligious compared to their peers.
• Adult Faith: Divorce can cause children to feel isolated from their religious community
• Relationship Challenges: Children from divorced homes often struggle with fear of failure, abandonment, and conflict.
• Social & Academic Effects: Children of divorce are more likely to experience lower academic performance, and increased instances of delinquency and substance use.
• Long-Term Consequences: A 2025 study found that children of divorce had a higher likelihood of teen pregnancy and increased mortality rates compared to children from continuously married parents.

Dr. Judith Wallerstein Study

In a landmark study, psychologist Judith Wallerstein followed a group of children of divorce from the 1970s into the 1990s. She interviewed them at eighteen months, five, ten, fifteen, and twenty-five years after the divorce. The results were:

• Continued experiencing fear of failure,
• Fear of loss
• change
• Fear of conflict

Study Data

The Center for Economic Studies released the findings of a research project, where they surveyed 5 million children of divorce. Data shows that children of divorced parents have an elevated risk of jail time (40% increase), elevated risk of mortality (45% increase), increased risk of teen birth (60% increase) 9-13% less income

Other Important Implications

• Without two parents and one of the parents working, children are often times left alone. Their answer to that is to go on social media and other screens for attention and relationship
• Children of divorce are often unable to participate in after school activities

What do you want your children to learn about marriage and family?

A devotional podcast for parents on the go! Encouragement, Scripture, & prayer in just 7 minutes. Join the journey!

To reach Tom Russell, go to https://www.heritagechristiancounselingofmansfield.com.

The Session – What is Schizophrenia?

1 John 4:1

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.

Livingwithschizophreniauk.org

• Schizophrenia is an illness affecting the brain and rooted within the biological functions of the brain cells.
• At some time during their life about 1 in 100 people will suffer an episode of schizophrenia.
  Schizophrenia occurs in all countries and societies of the world.
  Schizophrenia affects men and women alike and sufferers come from all walks of life and social backgrounds.
• It is not multiple personality disorder. That is known as dissociative disorder. (let’s do quick definitions here for both)
• Onset: It tends to strike most often in late teens and early twenties, slightly earlier in men than in women, although late onset illness can occur as late as the 70s. Schizophrenia before puberty is very rare.
• The word schizophrenia literally means a “fragmented mind”.
• It is caused by an abnormality in the brain cell of dopamine.
• This hormone is responsible for thought processes and an excess or shortage can cause thinking to become disturbed.
• What the evidence shows us is that people with schizophrenia are at considerably higher risk of death by suicide than the general population and are also more at risk of violent behavior and sexually disinhibited behavior. However provided that adequate psychiatric care is provided and good supervision of those in crisis is carried out these risks can be reduced to levels no higher than the general population.
• The cause of schizophrenia is often times thought to be genetic predisposition and potential complications a childbirth.
• Schizophrenia is a severe condition in which the sufferer may completely lose touch with reality, become socially withdrawn, be unable to work or study and stop looking after themselves. Their behavior may become bizarre or sometimes dangerous.
• Other symptoms include delusions (a false) and hallucinations (perception of something not there)

(National Institute of Health) Religious Delusions: People with schizophrenia often experience hallucinations or false beliefs with religious content, such as believing they are God, a saint, or being punished by demons.

A devotional podcast for parents on the go! Encouragement, Scripture, & prayer in just 7 minutes. Join the journey!

To reach Tom Russell, go to https://www.heritagechristiancounselingofmansfield.com.

The Session - The Sandwich Generation & Caring For Aging Parents

1 Timothy 5:4: Encourages children to "repay" parents by caring for them.

Ephesians 6:1-3 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.

What is the sandwich generation?

The "sandwich generation"—typically adults aged 30–50—faces immense, often overwhelming burdens, balancing care for children and aging parents.

The sandwich generation often times struggles with financial strain, emotional exhaustion, and severe time constraints.

Almost one-third of caregivers are in this position.

According to Mental Health America, 95% of the sandwich generation reports significant impacts on their lives, including reduced personal time, career conflicts, and, for many, jeopardized retirement savings.

Key Aspects of the Caregiver Burden

• Financial Strain: Sandwich generation caregivers frequently face high out-of-pocket expenses (averaging approximately $10,000 annually) for care, in addition to supporting their own children, which can severely impact long-term financial stability.
• Time Constraints: These caregivers often spend around 30 hours per week on caregiving tasks, leading to a constant, high-pressure feeling of having insufficient time.
• Emotional & Physical Toll: The dual responsibility often leads to burnout, high stress, anxiety, and guilt. Women often bear a higher intensity of this burden.
• Impact on Work: Many, particularly women, struggle to balance careers with caregiving responsibilities.
• Role Reversal: According to Mental Health America Individuals must navigate the emotional, difficult shift of taking on parental roles for their own parents.
• Christian support for the sandwich generation focuses on finding strength through faith, prayer, and community to balance caring for aging parents and children.
• Key approaches include embracing self-care as stewardship rather than selfishness, setting realistic boundaries, and reframing caregiving as a God-ordained opportunity to serve.
• Scott Question: Can we define what some of those realistic boundaries might be?

(Focus on the Family.)

A devotional podcast for parents on the go! Encouragement, Scripture, & prayer in just 7 minutes. Join the journey!

To reach Tom Russell, go to https://www.heritagechristiancounselingofmansfield.com.