RAISING KIDS WITH A RELIGIOUS BACKBONE, REDUCES MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES

I love the quote, "We are spiritual beings, having a mortal experience...."

This kind of nails down that concept; if you unhinge from who you really are, a divine son or daughter of a loving God of the universe - you will ultimately fail.  I told this to my oldest - and she never really got what I was trying to get at.  I said, "You can be the most successful person in education, in honors of men (degrees/positions/wealth), the most beautiful/handsome person, the most [place your thing here] - but IF you fail to address the most important thing in life; YOUR SPIRITUALITY; you simply are a failure."

It is pretty much where the rubber meets the road in life.  I have seen so many.  My MIL, for example: had beauty at a younger age (we all get old/saggy/wrinkly/weak/worn out), has spent her life in the pursuit of more wealth (has been a good steward over what she has) - but has let her spirituality fall by the wayside and soon will go to her grave (as we all will) missing the most key component in life.  Precisely because beauty and money and power cannot be taken with a person to the other side.  Simply not transportable.  The only thing you can take is a beautiful countenance filled with the light of Christ.  As a teen, life seems boundless - but I  can tell you that I am facing my 50th this week - and am realizing just how finite the resource of life is.

I have much to refine myself of (repent) while I still am in this flesh - so, I see my mortality in terms of it's finiteness.  Thankfully, age and wisdom and raw experience is something that helps in that quest.  A marriage to a good woman also helps.  One of the greatest aids is an eternal companion that has your back.  Kids are a good aid - as they reflect you back at you.  Sometimes, you see your roughest qualities come out in them (or they call you out on them), and it facilitates your changes.

So, enough philosophising, and to the story:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2018/09/17/raising-kids-with-religion-or-spirituality-may-protect-their-mental-health-study/#74d08d323287