What has happened?

I am so very thankful for my childhood!  I lived in a small town in KY, my school was within walking distance as well as everything else really.  The school had approximately 500 kids in the entire school K-12 grade and I had about 26 kids in my graduating class.  We would walk to and from school everyday without any worries.  The town is so small, everyone knew you and your family and genuinely cared about you. We would ride our bikes all over town and my parents never worried, that's how different the world was then compared to now.  I never heard about drugs or even seen it for that matter, now a days that's all you hear about.  All of my friends would hang out at each others homes and play outside all day until it got dark.  My parents would always tell us that we have to be in the house when the street light came on. So when that light came on we would run as fast as we could to the house.  Today it seems as if the kids are inside way too much and have to have invites to hang out with their friends.  Many times some parents do not even know where their kids are until they show up late at night.  This, to me, is just crazy.


 During my childhood, the most exciting thing for us was hanging out at our local pool, which we walked to and did not have to bring our parents along because they felt safe sending us.  This day and time , I would never send my child anywhere without supervision because there is just way to much evil in the world today.  I never heard from my friends the language that you hear today from kids, I mean seriously is there a class in the public schools today that teach kids curse words??  Sadly, this day and time some parents are using those words in everyday conversation and some kids learn it from them. 


 I hear and see a lot of evil these days and I ask myself, what has happened?  How did the world become what it is today?  Maybe it has always been this way and I was just truly blessed.  Maybe it was because I did live in a small rural town, had the best parents and the greatest friends, and never realized that outside of my little world was all this evil.  I do find it hard to believe that I would have been so oblivious that I didn't recognize all of this growing up.  I do know I had the best friends and best community around.  Growing up there was awesome, it was like having a town full of family.  If some of you are reading this today, I want to say thank you and I want you to know how thankful I am for growing up with you and sharing a part of your life with me.  I am also thankful that I still feel this close to you now and that I know that each and everyone of you has my back!!  Although we may not have seen each other in years , I still know that if I needed you you would be there for me and vice versa .  I am so glad that you and I did not face the evil that is in the world today.  My prayer for each of you is that this evil that we did not face back then has not caught up with you now and that there is only joy in your lives. 


What has happened?  Why is this world so full of evil?  I do not know how it became this way.  I don't have the answers but I do know that I am trying everything in my power to keep all the evil away from me and my family and one way to do this is by keeping God first.  I pray that all of you are doing the same and that only joy will come your way.  


Love to all :)