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A Little Steak Here And There Is Great for Recharging The Blood

What are your feelings about eating meat?

When I think of meat, or meat related questions a big picture of Fred Flintstone and his brontosaurus burger often comes to mind. I know it’s a silly image but I became a vegetarian all by myself at the age of twelve. It wasn’t until the last twelve years have I been on again off again with meat. Today, I think I have derived a firm conclusion on meat eating via the ideology of the Pueblo Indians and my connection to Curanderismo. It’s good in moderation and even better when it’s well sourced.

In the second grade my son was working on a project about the Southwest Indian culture when I had an epiphany: the eating of flesh is when you need to be strong and aggressive and the intake of veggies and fruits are for calming and peace. Also, the seasons of eating meat came into significance for me based on when the concepts of seed time and harvest.

After I had that highly intellectual and rationalized thought, it made sense to me why eating fish sometimes made me sad. It’s because I believe life is in all things. Once I reconciled all those high level beliefs within myself—I went to the Korean BBQ and had a meat feast—no regrets. It was amazing and I love good cuts of meat. Unfortunately not all cuts are of good quality unless they come from the right source. I would rather have small portions of great instead of large portions of meh.

To support my wayward meat eating habits and the meat eating habits of my family I purchased a smoker. I love eating smoked foods. This method of cooking low and slow is actually good for your skin as well. (I believe so)

In short, my daily habits don’t include meat. It does however, include too much dairy. I feel better, think and operate better, with minimal meat. But there does come a time when I can’t say no to a good steak. It’s one of the best ways to recharge the blood.

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Interview With Mom Film Fest and Director Alicia Cunningham: Balancing Motherhood, Writing, & Life (Replay)

By: Chiara La Luz Atoyebi

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Home Is Where My Heart Is, And I’m Grateful About That

Written By: Chiara Atoyebi

Daily writing prompt
What’s something most people don’t know about you?

“For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything” Hebrews 3:4

Growing up, I moved around a lot, and I always dreaded the question “Where are you from?” I never stayed in one place too long while growing up, so the question often threw me off. Many people identify home with a person or believe home is where they were born, but for me, home is wherever I am.

In our world, we get so caught up with “repping” things, and in many ways, these conventions are things that can weigh us down and keep us from taking flight in life and enjoying what the world has to offer. For me, life is about taking in as many experiences as possible and making memories, and for a while, I have enjoyed making those memories from home.

When my personal space is tranquil and filled with delicious seasonal smells and laughter from loved ones, I feel like the wealthiest person in the world. If you follow me on social media, every now and then I will mention my love for snacks. In my household, snacks are a big part of making any home feel comfortable, and I go on a snack run daily.

“Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty” John :35

In my past, I was known for going out regularly and I enjoyed every minute of it. However, once I settled in and became a mom, I started to relish my home life. Home is the one place that I consider to be a buffer to the outside world. Throughout my life, I looked for comfort outside, but that was because my living spaces were not comfortable enough. I didn’t invest enough in my living spaces because I always had my eyes on my future home. I was more focused on my future living spaces instead of tending to the present living space that I was so fortunate to have. However, once I made the small shift in my mentality to focus on what I had been given stewardship over, my living space began to transform. I began to think less about getting my artwork into a gallery or a show, and more about showcasing my work in my home. I thought less about going to the latest restaurants and tried my hand at recreating some of my favorite takeout meals and got quite good at it.

Now, it seems like my homecooked food is the better option because of the freshness and love I put into it. When I transformed my mentality, not only did my home transform, but the things I wanted to manifest outside of it were coming into fruition. This is called being a good steward of what we are blessed to have, and the reward is abundance.
In many ways, our homes are a reflection of who we are spiritually and how we view the world. While I am imperfect and fall short of my goals sometimes in my inner and outer sanctums, I strive to build my foundation on solid ground. In doing so, home is wherever I am. If it is not in the condition I desire, then I know it is within me to make it what I desire.

The spirit of the Divine resides in my heart, and I know that I am empowered to create beauty all around me, no matter what the circumstance. Wherever the Lord is, my home is, and I know it is well. So if you get around me and feel comfortable—that is what you are feeling. You are feeling the love and peace of home, and that makes me happy.

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