"Your Love Never Fails"

Today was my Uncle Peter's funeral.
He had been sick for quite a long time, suffering many ailments over the years, and he quietly passed away last Friday night.
It has been a hard thing to deal with, and as the week went on, I felt more encouraged to move forward.
Until today.
This morning we all had to deal with the reality that our favourite story-telling, joke-dropping, barrel-chested man with the booming laugh and huge hands that would pinch your arms (or get you with 'The Crawww!') had left us.

Strangely, I got extremely nervous this morning as we drove nearer and nearer to Anapilis, the Lithuanian cemetery in Mississauga where my Uncle would be buried. I almost felt panicked, just wanting to escape what I was going to have to face. Feeling the anxiety build up inside of me, I wanted to just run in the opposite direction.
I thank God for the peaceful sunny morning that He gave us, though. The cemetery was absolutely gorgeous, and I wanted so badly to just weave through the gravestones and wander by myself to think about everything. One of the incredible things about Lithuanians is the distinct cultural style in their ornate crafted designs. The intricacy is mind-blowing when you walk up to these headstones and see the incredible crosses.
(This is the 'Hill of Crosses' in Lithuania, which is extremely overwhelming, but I am sure that each cross is beautiful and different. )
I got to walk around after the ceremony, but I should have gone earlier in the morning when no one was there, because at this point, I was crying a lot and people were wandering around like me. They had a miniature 'Hill of Crosses' at Anapilis, so I thought I'd snap a picture of it on this beautiful sunny morning.


It was good to be with my family again, even though the reason why we were gathering was not good. What a strange juxtaposition: there is happiness to be together, sadness because you're not all together- in body and in mind.

It is fascinating and horrifying all at once, to watch people break.

And in times like these, I rejoice in my heart that I have Jesus as my life support, and I can only pray that my family will see my strength and want Him too.

Psalm 13:5
"But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation."
Thanks, to those of you who prayed for my family and I.

Hope I get to see you again someday, Uncle Pete. Love you.


My cousins and I with my Uncle at my Grandma's house. He put Jenna's fake hair piece on top of his head. What a joker. (: