Ashleigh Raye Swartz

Ashleigh Raye Swartz Beautiful daughter of Kevin and Helen Swartz Loving, big sister of Madison and Jacob We experienced the blessing of the Lord from my womb when you were born into our arms. We cried endless tears of joy that we had never known as there is no greater gift than life. Your beauty, warmth, and dependence immediately stole our hearts forever. The sacrificial gift of Jesus was cemented in our hearts and souls as we now personally understood the gift of children. We have forever been positively changed through your life and now your earthly death. We have been blessed beyond measure with great joy, known the deepest unconditional love, battled your undue suffering, and now face colossal loss. Your presence has captivated the lives of many through your gracious love, your empathetic heart, and your selfless life. Madison and Jacob will forever be indebted and bound to your great love as you protected, advised, and guarded their hearts. You never boasted or fully embraced your great talent as a writer, artist, or English graduate from NCSU. Your days there were bittersweet as you were robbed of your purity and life started to look and feel different. The pain of the circumstances attempted to drown you but you had a Savior that carried you through the dark days. You often breathed only through the numbness. The tragedy was a mishap and so unexpected as you were beginning to soar and move out of the valley. You found value in your job at Byrd Tile and you aspired to attain independence. We do not understand what and why the course changed. “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We carry around the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.” However, we have the gift of your Baptism as our confidence that you are in the presence of the great Lord. I see His arms around you in your new wholeness and perfect peace you so desired. We selfishly long to have you back but are certain that absence from the body of believers is presence with the Lord. This is your new beginning and certainly not an end. We commit to continue honoring our Lord and Savior and praise Jesus for the glory your life will bring to Him. We will await our time to join you in eternity and find comfort in the truth of knowing that He will wipe away every tear and take the crushing heaviness of mourning for the old order of things will pass away. “Then I looked, and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they were saying: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” Our family, friends, and merciful Jesus are carrying us in our deep, deep sorrow and we are overwhelmed by your outpouring of love. They have helped us plan and organize a great celebration for the life of our beautiful, precious Ashleigh. We will be honored by your presence. In lieu of flowers, please worshipfully donate to Hope Community Church in memory of Ashleigh. December 10, 2016 Hope Community Church 821 Buck Jones Rd. Raleigh, NC 27606 10:30-11:30am: Love on Family Time 11:30-12:30: Celebration and Worship December 10, 2016 Pine Forest Memorial Gardens 770 Stadium Drive Wake Forest, NC 27588 1:30 Green Burial and honor of earthly body

Ashleigh Raye Swartz

August 2, 1989 - December 3, 2016