The rain, a pileup on the freeway—"the boss has heard them all," said Gene Marks in The Washington Post. Excuses for being late to work are essentially the same in every industry, according to a Career Builder survey of more than 1000 HR managers. The most common reasons for employee tardiness are pretty familiar, with traffic (51 percent), oversleeping (31 percent), and weather (28 percent) topping a managers' list.

But among the most unique excuses bosses have heard: "I was here, but fell asleep in the parking lot," "my fake eyelashes were stuck together," and "an astrologer warned me of a car accident on a major highway, so I took all back roads. "Another that raised eyebrows: 'I had morning sickness'"—that was from a male employee. The article noted, "One things for sure: innovation is not dead in America."

Possible Preaching Angles: Funny, yes, but don't we all have our own creative ways of excusing our sin?