The following notes are reported to be actual notes sent in to teachers by parents:

My son is under a doctor's care and should not take P.E. today.  Please execute him.

Please excuse Lisa for being absent.  She was sick and I had her shot.

Dear School: Please ekscuse John being absent on Jan. 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, and also 33.

Please excuse Gloria from Jim today.  She is administrating.

Please excuse Roland from P.E. for a few days. Yesterday he fell out of a tree and misplaced his hip.

John has been absent because he had two teeth taken out of his face.

Megan could not come to school today because she has been bothered by very close veins.

Please excuse Ray Friday from school.  He has very loose vowels.

Please excuse Tommy for being absent yesterday. He had diarrhea and his boots leak.

Please excuse Jimmy for being.  It was his father's fault.

I kept Billie home because she had to go Christmas shopping because I don't know what size she wear.

Please excuse Jennifer for missing school yesterday.  We forgot to get the Sunday paper off the porch, and when we found it Monday, we thought it was Sunday.

Sally won't be in school a week from Friday.  We have to attend her funeral.

Excuses can sound rather ridiculous, can't they? As a preacher, I've heard a lot of excuses for folks not "going to church" on Sundays.   Even more
serious are those excuses people make for not becoming Christians.  When all is said and done, no excuse is a good one.

"Then [Jesus] said to him, 'A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, "Come, for all things are now ready." But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, "I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it.  I ask you to have me excused." And another said, "I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them.  I ask you to have me excused."  Still another said, "I have married a wife, and
therefore I cannot come."..... I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.' " (Luke 14:16-20,24).

We have been invited to share in a great spiritual feast.  Let us set aside our excuses and make every effort to be a part of that celebration.