by sugarsunshinelife | Feb 11, 2022 | Lifestyle
You hear all the time about self-improvement. I see a lot of it all over Pinterest, Instagram, and other blogs. A lot of the time, when I read about self-improvement it’s all about that one word: SELF.
It bothers me.
Why does it bother me? It bothers me because we are called to be selfless and to be servants. (Galatians 5:13) I believe that if we constantly focus on ourselves, we will fall into an even more sinful nature.
See, selfishness is a huge sin problem. (Philippians 2:3) Everyone deals with it. I deal with it and it’s one of my many struggles.
When I see Instagram posts about improving yourself in the wrong ways, it makes me wonder what would happen if we focused less on ourselves and more on others and most importantly, more on God.
I know that there are many ways to improve yourself. Whether it’s financially, physically, mentally, or spiritually, we can all always improve.
I think it’s very important to take care of yourself and to have time for yourself. But, it shouldn’t be something you obsess over.
When I was younger, I made sure that I had makeup on every time I went somewhere. I was taught that I needed to wear makeup to be considered presentable when I went out.
I got so “into” makeup that when my parents would punish me, they would take it away from me. Yes, being bare-faced was a punishment.
It’s because I focused so much on myself and the need to look better, that I hated my face without makeup. I was embarrassed. I was mortified. When I would go to dance class or school without mascara or eyebrow filler, I felt…ugly.
Isn’t that awful? The beautiful face that God had given me, I considered ugly. I thought something of God’s creation was ugly!
I blame those silly self-improvement articles.
Because I had an obsession with “improving” myself with makeup, I needed to realize that I didn’t need it and I eventually did realize that. It took a lot of learning how to love myself for the right reasons.
I am not saying that it is wrong to wear makeup. It’s perfectly fine to! When it becomes an obsession or something you idolize, then it is a problem. I personally love to wear makeup but I don’t wear it as much as I used to due to the struggle I had with it, and that is perfectly fine!
I am very thankful to my husband who has helped me majorly with this continuous struggle.
Here is a question to think about: How can we improve ourselves in a biblical way?
It’s an interesting thought that I have hardly ever thought about.
Let’s start with the most basic form of self-improvement – physically.
A lot of people want to get healthier or more fit. Some people want to change their diet. Others want to have a different fashion style. There’s so much that we as humans can change physically about ourselves!
But, why do we need to? Why do we feel this urge to just… change?
I believe it’s because of the fact that we know we will never be perfect. We will never be perfect to ourselves. I don’t believe that there is any human on this earth who is fully satisfied with themselves. We are always wanting to change something about ourselves.
God knows we are perfect though. It’s hard to comprehend that an eternal being made us fearfully and wonderfully made even though we can’t see it! (Psalm 139:14)
I know you’re probably wondering, how can I improve myself physically in a biblical way? Well to start, let’s talk about modesty.
Let me make this clear: Modesty isn’t just an appearance, it’s an attitude. Yes, you read that right. Modesty is an attitude. If you have a modest attitude, it will show outwardly. If you have a modest appearance, it will show inwardly.
A verse that I personally love to go with this is 1 Peter 3:3-4.
![](https://sugarsunshinelife.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/1peter334-1-1024x577.png)
If we can begin to have a modest attitude, we can begin to have a modest appearance. I challenge you today to have a modest attitude and see if it changes anything in your lifestyle or in your appearance. See if it biblically improves your physical self!
Moving onto another form of self-improvement – financially.
A lot of people are obsessed with becoming the richest, most successful person that they can be. While there is nothing wrong with striving for success, obsessing and loving money can lead you down a dark and dangerous path.
1 Timothy 6:10 says, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”
If we love money, if we create an idol out of it, it can lead to all sorts of evils. A lot of self-improvement articles and posts will tell you that you need to be as successful and as financially stable as possible to lead a long and healthy life. This is a lie.
You do not need money to be happy. I repeat: You do NOT need money to be happy!
If we constantly rely on the physical things of this world to make us happy, we will never ever find true happiness! If you are never content where God has you in your life, you will be miserable!
You can’t find happiness in things. People will let you down, material things will fail you, but God? He will never, ever fail you!!! He has your best interest in mind and He will give you what you need when you need it! (Lamentations 3:22)
Another form of self-improvement is this – state of mind / mental health
Talking about mental health is a tough subject for me. I personally deal with a lot of childhood trauma and I am working on my mental health and using the bible as a guide.
If you’re wondering how I’m doing this, I will tell you. I pray and I do devotions every day, I talk to close family about my feelings, and I spend time with my heavenly Father.
When I’m going through something and I have strong emotions, I tend to pray and ask God for patience. I will instantly feel a sense of peace wash over me.
It has really helped me grow mentally because I can control my emotions better and I don’t feel like I have to bottle everything up.
Even if no one wants to listen to you, God always will. Vent to Him friends! Tell him about how you feel when you feel it. He is there to listen to you and to guide you.
![](https://sugarsunshinelife.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/1peter334-2-1024x577.png)
I have found that diving into the bible and reading scripture helps calm my nerves and helps me learn more. I think that when we grow spiritually, it helps our mental state.
When we have more of God in our everyday lives it can really affect the way we think and live. We can become more like Jesus and less like the face of sin.
Studying God’s word and praying is a great way to help improve your mental health! (Proverbs 3:1-2)
Last and certainly not least – spiritual improvement
Spiritual self-improvement can mean different things. Christians are ever-growing in their knowledge of God’s word. We will never truly know everything that there is to know, but it’s always wise to meditate on God’s word and constantly learn more.
When I say meditate, I don’t mean chanting and sitting with your legs crossed. I mean studying God’s word and truly thinking about the meaning behind it.
We are constantly improving ourselves spiritually. Every time you read the bible, you are gaining more knowledge. That’s pretty awesome. It’s so awesome because we can never stop learning. There is always something to learn from the bible.
Ask God for wisdom and He will give it to you! (James 1:5-7)
Another way to improve spiritually is to pray and to pray hard. I don’t mean just say a quick prayer and be done, I mean open up completely and talk to God. Spend time with Him.
If you wanted to improve your relationship with your father, you would spend time with him and talk with him. That same concept applies to your relationship with your eternal Father, God.
God misses you.
Imagine how much He misses us when we don’t pray! Our Father in Heaven who knitted us in our mother’s womb wants to hear from us! He wants to know what you’re thinking! He wants to know how you’re feeling!
Talk. To. HIM!
Instead of ranting to your friends online, go speak to the Maker of our world. He is the only one who will ever truly be there for you. That is an incredible blessing! How cool is it to know that God is always willing to listen to us no matter the hour of the day? It is incredible.
In conclusion – If we become more modest, more content, more patient, and more spiritually aware, we can become a better us. I can testify to this.
Our lives, our happiness, and even our personal relationships can improve almost instantly when we begin to work on ourselves for the glory of God and not for the glory of our own satisfaction.
All translations are from the English Standard Version.
I am using the John MacArthur Study Bible, linked here.
![](https://sugarsunshinelife.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/xoxomadi-e1636994644642-300x62.png)
by sugarsunshinelife | Dec 13, 2021 | Lifestyle
FTM all-natural birth with no medication!!
I was having preterm labor from 35 weeks all the way up until birth. I was 3cm dilated from November 7th-December 4th. On December 4th 2021 I started feeling contractions. I had gone into the hospital the night before due to painful contractions and I had dilated +1 but nothing worth keeping me for. I was sent home that night feeling extremely discouraged and sad.
The next night, I was up making a dessert when I felt a really powerful contraction. I didn’t think anything of it and just kept on doing what I was doing. I took some of the chocolate I had made to my husband and sat in my desk chair. As soon as I did, I felt a huge contraction and jumped out of my chair. I ran to our bed and instinctually bent over it to relieve the pain. I hopped in the shower to try to relax but nothing changed.
I noticed that I had the bloody show so I figured that I was in labor and these weren’t just Braxton hicks. I immediately started timing them. At 10:45 pm my contractions were 10 minutes apart and an hour later they were 5 minutes apart. At 12:20 am I had a very strong contraction and my water broke. My mother-in-law had been helping me breathe through the contractions and as soon as it broke I said “My water just broke!” and my husband started getting ready to go. Everything happened fast after that.
It took us 30 minutes to get to the hospital after my water broke and I honestly just remember bits and pieces from the car ride. The pain was very intense and I could feel the need to push starting to come on. We got to the ER and checked in. By that time I could not even concentrate on talking to people because I was just working through the contractions.
I got wheeled up to L&D and they wanted to check and make sure my water had broken. I put my gown on, needing lots of help from my husband, and as soon as the nurses came in I had another contraction and more amniotic fluid came out. At this, the nurses hurried me to the bed so I could be checked.
One of my doctors came in and checked me and I was already at 8cm and 90% effaced. She said she could definitely feel Ezekiel’s head. It was probably 2:30 am. Within a few more contractions I felt the incredible need to push. I couldn’t stop it if I wanted to.
I had my husband and the nurse putting pressure on my lower back which helped tremendously. I turned on my left side and pushed some and then turned on my right and did the same. I switched sides every few pushes. I started begging for pain meds at this point and the nurses told me to wait it out and see if it gets better. I’m glad they did this instead of giving me anything because I felt so much better afterwards without medication.
My doctor checked me again at 3 am and said I was completely dilated and effaced. She couldn’t believe I was being so quiet the whole time. I was groaning but I never screamed through any of it. The whole time I was just working with my body and praying. I knew I could do it, I just had to get past the contractions when they came.
At 3 am, after I was checked, I started pushing. It was painful. I’m not going to sugarcoat it. It was the most intense pain I had ever felt in my life. During that last hour, I felt like I was in a different realm. I kept looking at the ceiling, imagining God looking down at me and I prayed for strength. The last few contractions were the most intense.
I had gone from repeating “I can’t do this.” over and over again to working with my body to get the baby out. God gave me the strength I prayed for because the last contraction was the hardest I had ever pushed myself before in my life.
Boy was that ring of fire real! My husband looked at me and said “I can see his head.” I reached down and felt the tiniest bit of hair poking out. That gave me the power I needed for that last push.
At 3:22 am I pushed as hard as I could and Ezekiel was born. He had his umbilical cord wrapped around his neck and the nurses quickly unwrapped it. I immediately burst into tears and pulled him to my chest. My doctor waited until the umbilical cord had stopped pulsating before my husband cut it.
I didn’t feel any pain after that. It was just all about him. It’s true what they say, once you have your baby, you forget about all of that pain. I delivered the placenta and had to get a few stitches from a first degree tear.
Ezekiel Stephen weighed 6lbs 14 oz at birth and measured 19.5 inches long. He is an absolute blessing from God and I’m so thankful for the most magical and safe delivery. My labor ended up only being 4 hours long which is insane to me.
I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. I loved it. Yes, it was painful. But what I was rewarded with in the end was worth all of it. I feel so empowered and I feel like I can do anything. I recommend going all-natural to every mama out there. It’s worth the pain for the experience. Your body was made for this!
![](https://sugarsunshinelife.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/xoxomadi-e1636994644642-300x62.png)
by sugarsunshinelife | Nov 9, 2021 | Deals & Coupons, Lifestyle
Sephora’s Holiday Sales Event is happening now through 11/5-11/15! These deals won’t last long so make sure you give them a look before they end! You can shop their latest deals here.
I love using non-toxic products because I don’t like putting unnecessary chemicals into or onto my body, so I have made a sales guide with the best products from Sephora’s makeup products! They are all my absolute favorites and I might just grab a few of these items while this awesome sale is going on!
I also added a few of my favorite haircare and skincare products as well!
Use code YAYHOLIDAY to get a discount on our cart at checkout! Hurry, this amazing holiday sales event won’t last long!!
Sephora Deals Happening Now:
·First access – Grab 20% off from 11/5-11/15.
·VIB – Get 15% off now through 11/15.
·Insiders get 10% off starting 11/10 lasting through 11/15.
·Use code FREESHIP to get free shipping on your order.
·Also, you can get 30% off on the entire Sephora Collection!
*Exclusions/terms apply.
I personally love all Ilia Beauty products from Sephora. My favorites are Ilia Clean Line Liquid Eyeliner and Ilia Lip Wrap Overnight Treatment which has been a lifesaver during pregnancy. I love the liquid liner because it goes on very smooth, it’s extremely silky, and best of all, it washes off fairly well. It is great for anyone that has sensitive skin or if your eyes get irritated easily. I love their lip mask because it soothes my chapped and peeling lips within a couple of applications!
I hope you all enjoy these products that I have hand picked during this holiday sales event. This is by far one of the best deals Sephora has offered so make sure you give it a look! I will post more deals that I find as they come out! Happy shopping!
Check out my latest post, Holiday Gift Guides 2021!
![](https://sugarsunshinelife.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/xoxomadi-e1636994644642-300x62.png)
by sugarsunshinelife | Nov 5, 2021 | Deals & Coupons, Fashion, Lifestyle
Getting holiday gift guides ready in November is a first for me. Actually, getting them ready in general is a first. I thought it would be best to go ahead and post mine since shipping speeds are expected to be slower this year. To be honest, I just started shopping for my friends and family. Last year, I started shopping at the beginning of December, but since I could have a baby any day now, I’m choosing to start earlier. LOL.
Anyways… We all know that holiday shopping can be a pain. If you’re like me, and you kind of get stuck when buying for people, holiday gift guides are a lifesaver! I wish I had known about these sooner because it could have saved me a lot of googling.
This year, I won’t have a lot of time to go out and shop so I will be doing most of my Christmas shopping online. Between prenatal appointments, family gatherings, and preparing for my babe that is soon to come, these gift guides have really come in handy.
I know many momma’s get busy around this time of year, so in spite of that, I have created five holiday gift guides to help you shop for your loved ones. Completely hassle-free! ENJOY!!
Gift Guide For Her
Everyone knows that buying for any woman in your life can be quite hard. Whether it’s your friends, sister, mom, mother-in-law, grandma, etc, it can be hard! Everyone has different tastes and no one wants to spend an extreme amount. I made sure to include a variety of items ranging from cozy and soft to stylish and handy!
Gift Guide For Him
Whether you’re buying for that special someone in your life or even your brother, this gift guide is bound to have something in it that any man in your life will love! I can think of a lot of family members who would love everything on this list.
Gift Guide For Mom
She raised you. She loves you. Shopping for mom can be an exciting time! After all of those years of her giving you gifts at Christmastime, you can finally return the favor. How awesome is that? Any mom will love this list of gifts but it’s the thought that really counts. You can even consider buying these gifts for your mother-in-law as well!
Gift Guide For Dad
Shopping for your dad or father-in-law can be extremely hard at times. I know that I struggle personally with it, but if you know what he likes and dislikes, it can make shopping easier. You know what else can make shopping for dad easier? This gift guide!
Gift Guide For The Mom-To-Be
If you’re buying for a mom-to-be this Christmas, this gift guide could help guide you on what she wants. I personally am a mom-to-be this Christmas season so trust me, I know what a new momma wants. Giving her gifts that will keep her cozy during and after pregnancy is very helpful. In this gift guide, I have included items that will help her during pregnancy and postpartum.
I hope these gift guides have given you some ideas when you start your Christmas shopping. If you’ve already started your Christmas shopping, I hope these help you finish up. Christmas is only a few weeks away so don’t wait too long to start (or finish) your holiday shopping! Check out my latest blog post, Forever 21 Deals As Low As $1.80!
![](https://sugarsunshinelife.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/xoxomadi-e1636994644642-300x62.png)
by sugarsunshinelife | Nov 4, 2021 | Fashion, Lifestyle
Prices as low as $1.80??
That’s right! Starting today you can get Forever 21 deals as low as $1.80! How awesome is that? These deals are a part of their early Black Friday and Cyber Week discounts. This is only the beginning of many more deals to come! Be on the lookout for more deals from your favorite stores coming your way soon!
These deals won’t last long so make sure you check them out ASAP! Christmas and other holiday festivities are just around the corner so make sure you get all of your holiday shopping done in time.
All of the Forever 21 deals going on right now:
-You can use code EXTRA40 to get an extra 40% off of already marked down items! Up to 80% off clearance + an extra 40% off.
-If you download the Forever 21 app, you can get another 30% off discount code when you make an in-app purchase.
–25% off of your purchase when you use code: friends25 at checkout.
–30% off of your purchase of $85 or more when you use code: friends30 at checkout.
–Sign up for SMS or text and get 20% off your purchase of $50 or more!
–Buy 3, Get 1 Free on all Organically Grown Cotton items! Prices as low as $3.99!
-Up to 60% off ending soon!
–Sign up for emails and take 20% off your next purchase of $50 or more!
EXTRA40 deal is valid 11/4/21-11/11/21.
Check out my latest post, 10 Must Have Maternity Clothing Items!
![](https://sugarsunshinelife.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/xoxomadi-e1636994644642-300x62.png)