Redding California - Small Town or Not? Good Place or Not?

I was at the local Hospital the other day visiting a patient and took this picture from the top floor overlooking Redding. You can see Mount Lassen in the background.

I began to ponder why we moved to Redding from San Diego ~ 12 years ago.

I researched Redding at the time and saw that It has a population of ~ 50,000 people, was the hub for medical care for the North of Northern California (A good thing because I am a Registered Nurse), had a Catholic School system, and possessed a small town atmosphere fostering Christan and family values.

Over the 12 years the city has grown to over 100,000 people, many from the San Francisco area. The brought with them their values, their culture, and their diversity.

Recently the Catholic High School has closed, the other two Catholic schools have reduced in size dramatically and are on the verge of disappearing as well.

I saw a gang member walking the streets the other day, this is new for the city.

It isn't uncommon now to see two girls kissing downtown, or two men holding hands.

Abortion Clinics are popping up and billboard signs promoting killing your babies.

A gay night club has opened.

The city has in many ways lost that small town feeling as well as its Christian and traditional family value atmosphere.

I don't mean to say that there isn't many good families that still live in the area, there are, and we know many of them.

But the town has changed. It is not the same place that it was before.

Liz and I ponder the idea of moving. Like most parents, we want to do what is best for our children. The idea of taking the kids away from friends doesn't seem right, when they have developed such good friends and are a big part of their lives.

But ongoing exposure of situations and occurrences that are in direct opposition to our beliefs also seem to be harmful, especially during the formation years.

Yes, they (our kids) will be exposed to such things in life, but why expose them to evil when they don't have to be, that argument doesn't really seem to carry much weight, as well as the fact that after proper formation they will be able to evaluate such things in their proper light, or should I say, darkness.

As we travel through many different states this summer, we are taking a 1 month road trip with the kids, driving from California to Ohio and back, we plan to ponder this idea even further, especially as we evaluate the states that we visit along our trip.

This life in California cannot be the best our world has to offer, I am sure of it, but when to change, that is the big question.......... great discussion for my spiritual director who is a Hermit Trappist Monk, and the wisest man I know.

I better make an appointment.......