Alright, this one's more of a vent, but I think I make a good point. 

I grew up on secular music (Spice Girls, Britney Spears, Aqua, etc) and now I only listen to Christian music. While I have no issue with "missing out" on the new [secular] music of today, I do have an issue with missing the old music. The nostalgia I feel when I hear a Spice Girls song on a store radio...it makes me want to hear more of that group, and all the other music I used to like. 

When I do indulge the feeling and listen to a 90's playlist, it doesn't take long for me to recognize all the bad things in the songs. They are mostly about s3x, but there's also m*rd3r and theft and all sorts of things that no child should be listening to, and most adults shouldn't. Why did my parents let me listen to this stuff?! No, wait, why did my CHRISTIAN parents let me listen to this stuff?!

I know why...because although we were a Christian family and went to church, the neighborhood kids and the school kids were not Christian. The only options for playmates I had were kids that did not know Jesus. Not only did this affect what music I listened to, but it also put me in many bad situations throughout my life. So I guess I'm also compelling parents to make sure your kids have Christian friends. Even if the family is a different denomination, or more "nominal" than yours, it's still better than the secular friends. At least that what my experience has been. 

Now as an adult, I wish so badly that I had Christian nostalgia music to listen to. I wish that when I heard a Spice Girl song it sounded unfamiliar to me. I wish I could pull out an old Barlow Girl CD and feel that nostalgia, but instead, despite that group being old, their music is fairly new to me. 

Parents I implore you to pay attention to what your kids are listening to! Don't let it slide because it's popular or because you think your kids are too young to understand the lyrics, or because you think that you turned out fine despite listening to secular music yourself. The lyrics sink into the soul and stay with you forever. Let only that which is good to be absorbed by your children. And by yourself.

Ok, rant over.