Amazing Christmas Lights – No, a NEW one.. and a great memory!

My father instilled in me a desire to decorate my home with Christmas Lights every year.  His style was to be thorough but not overdone.  Solid C-9’s were the bulb and string of choice when I was growing up.  These huge incandescent bulbs sucked a lot of power out of the grid and were a favorite for local kids to steal just to hear them “POP!” when you tossed them in the air over concrete or the street.

I don’t know what age I was when Dad began allowing me to help decorate, probably around 8 or 10.  My first ever job was to climb the 3-story Pine Tree in our front yard, a string of c-9’s in tow, to reach the highest bow and secure the first clip which had a single white bulb, the only one on the string.  After successfully clipping that light to the highest point I could safely go I turned to start my climb back down.  I lost my grip along the way and fell a ways before being safely caught up in the thick branches of this massive tree.  Physically, a few minor scratches were the only wounds, psychologically, a fear of heights was borne!  I was proud to do the one thing only a child my size could do.  It was the first time we had attempted to decorate the huge tree for obvious reasons.  After that time I became my father’s number one helper for hanging lights and they were some of the best times I had with him.  At nearly 70, he still decorates his house, by himself now that the kids are all gone, and there isn’t a house on his street that shines as bright.

I also take great time and effort to decorate the outside of our home.  I remember what joy I had as a kid seeing houses decorated and I hope to share this tradition with kids today.  I am a tad more, well, aggressive, than my father is about lighting.  Mine occasionally blink, (Dad would never have such a thing!), or even become part of an orchestrated sight and sound experience (like this year).  I began the basics of a lighted Manger Scene a few years back and add pieces over time.  I want people to know that while I may have colorful lights and secular music Christmas Music mixed in, at the heart of this celebration is recognizing the birth of our Savior.  Details over the probable actual season of Christ’s birth being months away or that Wise Men weren’t at the manger do not concern me.  Look to Christ and the rest will make more sense as you pursue Him.

There you have it.  I “light-up” the outside of our home at this time of year out of fond memories for a family tradition and to point to Christ as the reason I can celebrate at all.

Then, there are people who are on the cutting edge of technological Christmas lighting innovation.  I hope to someday be able to make my lights dance to music via my own programming instead of a pre-programmed pattern, as I have this year.  Check out this video which may amaze you as it has thousands of others in person and through the internet.  This is not the same one that’s been going around for years, though it is possible it’s the same person.

Now, wait for it! It really gets going at about 1:04 into the video.  The whole video is only 1:31, so it won’t take long to view.

The technology is astounding.

The amount of cable, staggering.

The time to program the lights to match the music, mind-boggling.

Getting tens of thousands of people to hear the truth in “Amazing Grace”, PRICELESS!