Epitaph Epilogue

Epitaph Epilogue by Leanne Lippincott-Wuerthele   In last month’s column, I shared some actual tombstone epitaphs. Here are a few more. This epitaph appears on an 1880s-era grave in Nantucket, Mass.: “Under the sod and under the trees, lies the body of Jonathan Pease. He is not here, there’s only the pod. Pease shelled out and went to God.” Auctioneer...

Leave ’em Laughing

Leave ’em Laughing

Mar 25, 2013

Leave ’em Laughing by Leanne Lippincott-Wuerthele   It may seem like a strange leisure time activity, but I enjoy strolling through cemeteries. Tombstones are mentioned in the Bible as early as Genesis. “Jacob set up a stone monument over Rachel’s grave, and it can be seen there to this day” (Genesis 35:20, New Living Translation). Absalom, King David’s...

March comes but once a year—thankfully

March comes but once  a year—thankfully

Feb 22, 2013

March comes but once a year—thankfully   Most of my friends know I hate March. For me, living through that month in Wisconsin is akin to eating pizza every morning for 31 days—pizza topped with moldy cheese and raw squid sprinkled with lint. Every year, I long for April like Romeo longed for Juliet. The NIV Bible mentions snow 23 times; 21 times in the Old...

Pick a card—or a day

Pick a card—or a day

Jan 24, 2013

Pick a card—or a day by Leanne Lippincott-Wuerthele   As most people know, Valentine’s Day is observed in the U.S. on February 14th each year. The original “St. Valentine” was a liturgical celebration of one or more early Christian saints named “Valentinus.” Several martyrdom stories were invented for these various saints and added to later martyrologies....

Oh, for crying out loud!

Oh, for crying out loud! By Leanne Lippincott-Wuerthle  I am far from being a well-studied Bible scholar, but Psalm 139:14 is a verse that I think about quite often. The New International Version reads, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” The New Living Bible states, “Thank you for making...