Hip-hip Hooray!

"In the cookie dough of life sisters are the chocolate chips." Today, August 30th, is my sister’s birthday and oh how glad I am that God blessed me with that oh so special chocolate chip to call my own. I can’t begin to even describe how much I love her and how much she means to me. As I sit here at my keyboard and try to conjure up the right words to say all our memories, jokes, her bits of godly advice, and ways she’s shown her love time and time again come to mind. I won’t begin to reminisce over them all -don’t want to bore you all- but sissy you know what moments I mean. Our itchy walks, dear Dora, kissing dating goodbye, shady meadow, nysync dance moves, love comes softly part 10, mt. Olivet, etc, etc.

Cheesy as it sounds, even though it’s your birthday it’s you who has given me the best gift -actually I should say gifts- of all. A best friend, mentor, protector, example-setter, and overall, a sister. Simioskotoskos! As the saying goes, it’s not the years in the life but the life in the years. This may be your last year in the 20s and the last time for a while that we are in the same decade but there is still A LOT more to come.

I’m so blessed by you and your presence in my life. I love you soooo very much.

Happy Birthday.

Dear Mom, Ma, and Dad,

           The other day I came across the verses Psalm 44:1-3. They go as follows:

"We have heard it with our ears, O God; our fathers have told us what you did in their days, in days long ago. With your hand you drove out the nations and planted our fathers; you crushed the peoples and made our fathers flourish. It was not by their sword that they won the land, nor did their arm bring them victory; it was your right hand, your arm and the light of your face, for you loved them."

With that I just wanted to take the time out to say thank you. I take a look at my life now and marvel at the length and depth of it all. I rejoice in the years spent on this earth. Some of them were tough to get through but nonetheless, I am stil here. With God’s grace and everlasting, all-consuming, unfathomable love I am here. Which brings me back to you three. The reason I have been blessed with knowing such a love is because I was raised with it and in it. You also raised me with a truth that was attached to this love. You showed it to me from such a young age that it became a part of me. I knew nothing from it.

       So as I left the nest and ventured off on my own I had nothing to fear. Yes, I admit to being nervous and a bit apprehensive but it was the examples of Christ in your lives and and the stories told to me through you all that allowed me to forge on on my unpaved path - the one I still walk today. I walk boldly in the face of my future because I know that a set of parents that believe in me whole-heartedly also stand behind me. And behind them is a God who would die for me and did; a God who would fight for me and has. I know He stands rooted behind me and you - all of us.

"I do not trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory… in God we make our boast all day long, and we will praise your name forever." - Psalm 44: 6-8

As a child, albeit a 21-year-old child I think that is one of the greatest gifts, lessons, advice, you could have ever passed down. You didn’t have to but you did.

So with that I say, ese ati mo dupe fun parents bi ti yin.

Always + forever

Mamma T. Teeni. Teniola Taiwo.

This is my idea of putting off homework -making a tiny collage of Tani’s birthday night. Now back to the more important matters at hand.

This is my idea of putting off homework -making a tiny collage of Tani’s birthday night. Now back to the more important matters at hand.

This is my idea of putting off homework -making a tiny collage of Tani’s birthday night. Now back to the more important matters at hand.

This is my idea of putting off homework -making a tiny collage of Tani’s birthday night. Now back to the more important matters at hand.