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The Great Christmas Light Debate: When Should They Go Up? · HAVE FAITH LET IT BEGIN®

• 0:44
  Hello, everyone, and welcome to Have Faith, Let It Begin, and it is a Friday.
• 0:49
  It's Black Friday, and today we're going to be talking about the great Christmas light debate.
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  When should they go up?
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  And as I stated today, we are ending the week with something fun,
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  something that sparks more debates than pineapple on pizza, more tension than
• 1:08
  picking a restaurant, and more arguments than GPS that says recalculating.
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  Yes, today we're diving into the great Christmas light debate.
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  When should the Christmas lights go up?
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  Should they be immediately after Halloween, the day after Thanksgiving,
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  December 1st, whenever your neighbor does and you feel peer pressured,
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  or whenever you finally find the time, even if it ends up being December 23rd? So let's talk about it.
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  Growing up, I remember there were always two kinds of families.
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  Family A, which was the one that had the lights up as of November 1st at 12.01 a.m.
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  Halloween decorations came down. Christmas went up instantly.
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  They were ready. They had extension cords, timers, candy canes,
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  blowups, spotlights, you name it. their house could be seen from space.
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  Well, family B, they'd say, yeah, we're going to put up the lights maybe next weekend.
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  Then next weekend would come and they'd go and then it's December 10th and then it's December 15th.
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  And one day you see dad outside in a hoodie, freezing, stapling lights in the
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  dark, thinking, why didn't I do this sooner?
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  Yeah, that would be my father. and every family says the same thing every year.
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  This year, we're going to get it done early and we'll get an early start.
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  Does it actually happen? Rarely. You know, let's break down the unofficial rules
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  of Christmas light timing.
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  November 1st, the early birds, that's what I call them.
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  These are people who say, I don't care if it's early, joy starts today.
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  And honestly, good for them. The world needs more joy.
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  But some folks say, hold on, at least let the pumpkins cool down.
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  That's Thanksgiving night.
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  This is the classic tradition. You eat, you nap, you regret eating the third
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  slice of pie, then the Christmas bins come out.
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  There's some magical, there's something magical actually about flipping the switch.
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  And the moment Thanksgiving ends, a perfect blend of gratitude and joy starts.
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  And then there's the December 1st families, right? The traditionalists.
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  These folks live by the calendar.
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  They all talk about December hits. The lights go up right on December 1st.
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  They don't rush. They don't stress.
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  They have a system and it usually works.
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  Whenever I have the time, that's my other family.
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  That's what they call them. The whenever I have the time people.
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  This is a group that says, listen, I'm doing my best.
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  And honestly, I get it. Between work, kids, bills, schedules,
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  and sleep, sometimes the lights go up whenever life allows us to.
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  And then they're the ever-popular, the last-minute miracle crew.
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  Lights go up on December 23rd, but they... Hey, listen, they got it up, right?
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  I mean, it's up. And they look great. No judgment here, right?
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  And let's not forget the neighborhood competition. Oh, yeah.
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  Let me add some humor here. You put up some simple set of white lights.
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  Then your neighbor puts up a 14-foot inflatable Santa riding on a T-Rex holding on a candy cane.
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  Suddenly, your house looks like it didn't even try.
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  But let me bring this fun debate back to something meaningful.
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  Whenever your lights go up early or late or not at all, Christmas isn't defined by decorations.
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  The lights we hang outside are wonderful.
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  But the real light, the one that matters, is the light of Christ shining inside of our hearts.
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  In John 8, verses 12, it says this, I am the light of the world.
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  Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.
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  So yes, put up the lights, enjoy the tradition, laugh, decorate, have fun with it.
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  But remember, the greatest light isn't on your house.
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  It's in your home, in your heart, in your family, in the way you love others during the season.
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  The greatest light isn't on your house.
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  It's in your home. It's in your heart, in your family, in the way you love others during the season.
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  Yes, I repeated it because I wanted to say again, Christmas lights are fun,
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  but Christ's light is forever.
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  So wherever you fall in the Christmas light debate, just enjoy the moment.
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  Enjoy your family. Enjoy the season. Enjoy the laughter.
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  Enjoy the joy. And don't stress.
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  Your house doesn't need to be perfect to be beautiful. Your tree doesn't need
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  to be on time to be meaningful.
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  And your lights don't have to match the neighbors.
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  What matters is the love that is inside of you and your home.
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  Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for the joy, the laughter,
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  and the light of this season.
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  Whether our decorations are early, late, or somewhere in between,
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  let the true light, the light of Jesus, shine brightly in our homes and in our hearts.
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  Bless every family listening today.
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  Fill their seasons with laughter, unity, peace, and good memories.
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  In this, we pray this unto you. In the name of the Father, the Son,
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  and the Holy Spirit. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
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  Thank you for joining me today. Have a fun this season.
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  And let your heart shine brighter than any light on your house.
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  And remember that you matter.
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  Happy Thanksgiving. Happy Black Friday. And never forget.
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  Have faith? Let it begin. Enjoy your weekend.