When the dog is violently ill indoors and you are the only witness (which means you have to clean it up) and all of your own hair creates a clog in the shower drain that necessitates you clean it out and both of these things happen before 7:15 a.m. -- you may as well go back to bed.
Our preacher speaks of (possibly even makes fun of) our "church button" -- that "button" we press to automatically put on our "church faces" and act as if all is well and great with us. Instead of activating our "church button" he encourages us to be real with each other and let our guard down. My rather large church is also having a push/ campaign to encourage us to be warm and welcoming to all of our visitors. There are days when I can either be real, or I can be warm and welcoming. There are some days that the two simply don't coincide. Especially when the dog is sick and I unclog the shower before church.
