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Lizzy Rich

Just a Handmaiden

Fashion Blogger dedicated to changing the narrative of our modesty to one of dignity, beauty, and self-love through the eyes of our Father

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Latest Posts

A New Approach to My Lenten Promise //
How to Shop Ethically on a College Budget
Is it Really Our Job to “Protect Men” Through Modesty?
A Knowledge that Drives Away Fear, Shame & Doubt
Immaculate Conception – What does it Mean for Us?

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SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WOMEN! I have felt so called recently to turn this blog into something that’s more than just Instagram and I am so excited to announce my first step to doing just that. If you are in Southern California on December 15 please come to our Baby Shower for Mary!! The whole idea is for young women ages 21 and up to come together for a time of female community, worship, and prayer while bringing essential baby gifts that will be given to @harvesthomela a home for homeless pregnant women and their children. My greatest desire is to create a space for women to come together to create solid Catholic community that lifts us up to heaven and I can’t wait to begin doing this in Southern California. So please please please - take courage and come to this party. I promise it will be worth it (plus there will be delicious food and fun prizes!)

Feelings over my obedience (FOMO) ⠀ ⠀ I was scrolling through Instagram the other day and saw a Instagram video from one of those large mega churches where this young pastor was talking about FOMO and I was very confused... but as I watched the video he talked about how he redefined what FOMO meant - Feelings over my obedience. ⠀ ⠀ Honestly, it seems a little cheesy but dang if it isn’t good theology. How often have I put what I’m feeling in the present moment over what God’s will is for my life. How many times have I chosen to sleep in or watch TV instead of praying because I felt tired or I didn’t feel like God was there. How many times have I fallen into temptation because in the moment it felt really good. ⠀ ⠀ God gave us our feelings for a reason sisters, and I’m not saying we just pretend that they don’t exist because they are a good thing, but they are not everything. Our culture today puts so much weight on feelings. “I feel this way and therefore it must be right.” I feel like sleeping with this person and it feels good so it’s okay if I do it before marriage. Pornography feels good when I’m watching it so it can’t be that bad. It doesn’t feel good when people don’t like me for standing up for my faith so I just don’t do it. ⠀ ⠀ We cannot put our feelings over our obedience to God. God gave us the Church in all her wisdom because He knew that we are fallen creatures who so easily listen to our feelings and assume they are right. People see the Church and it’s “rules” as restricting when in reality they are guidelines that free us from being slaves to feelings. We are more than our feelings and our Church is one of the few institutions out there actively reminding us of this truth. ⠀ ⠀ This quick Instagram video has pretty much taken over my prayer life as I work to navigate so many confusing things in my life right now and I hope that maybe it can help you too

Where are my people-pleasers at?⠀ ⠀ I’m a hard core people-pleaser. Honestly, it’s crippling. I love people, I love making people happy, and I want to serve those around me but dang sometimes it can take over my life. I’m terrified to call people out because I don’t want to hurt them in anyway. I let people step all over me because I’ve convinced myself that it’s better to just let it happen instead of inconveniencing someone else. And worst of it all, I’ve let myself sit in morally ambiguous situations just because I was scared of hurting another’s feelings. ⠀ ⠀ God has been calling this out of me in the most painful ways recently. It feels like he is constantly putting me in situations that require hard conversations, calling people out, and having to choose between obedience to His will or making other people feel good. It sucks. ⠀ ⠀ But my friend sent me this text recently and I’m not kidding I feel like I need to tattoo it on my body and write it on every surface, “You have no obligation to keep people happy but you do have an obligation to be truthful, kind, and moral.” Can I get an amen to that! So many of us women are willing to put ourselves last, to put ourself in morally ambiguous situations, to make sure that everyone else around us is happy but that is not Christian charity. Loving people well is being honest - it’s speaking truth and calling people out when they have strayed from the path and we hope that people do the same for us. As Christians we are obligated to be kind, truthful, and moral even if that means sometimes making those around us unhappy in the moment. Which of these do you need God to give you more grace in today?

HAPPY HALLOWEEN... I gotta be honest with y’all I love Halloween. I love everything about it! Dressing up, the creativity, the food, the drinks, the decorations, the Disney channel originals. But when college came around I began dreading it. ⠀ ⠀ In my mind all Halloween was for college students was dressing up in very small costumes and getting trashed in dingy basements. It sucked cus all I wanted to do was dress up and have a good time but there was always this weird expectation that Catholic students shouldn’t party. ⠀ ⠀ Then I was taught, drinking is not a bad thing. Let me shout this from the rooftops - it is not a sin to drink. Heck, my boy Thomas Aquinas tells us to drink to the point of merriment! It’s okay to want to drink with friends. It’s okay to want to go out and dance and have fun! I feel like our culture has developed this weird divide where you’re either in college party culture or you’re “counter- cultural” which means you can’t drink at all but that isn’t the case. We are called to live our lives in moderation! We are called to live joyfully and freely. Now - this is not the excuse you needed to go out and get totally inebriated- we have a free will and with that will we are meant to pursue virtue. But also dance if you wanna go dancing and have fun!! ⠀ ⠀ And if you want more clear guidelines about what a healthy drinking culture looks like:⠀ 1) drink in moderation: know your limits. I’m a total light weight and I know I’m good after two drinks. ⠀ 2) drink to the point of merriment: according to Aquinas merriment requires fellowship so don’t drink just to get drunk but to be in community with others and forming relationships. ⠀ 3) Drink authentically : so many people change who they are when they get drunk to be “more fun” be yourself and that will draw people in. ⠀ 4) Have fun: you don’t need to be stressed constantly about if it’s okay. Trust your gut, know your limits, but have fun!⠀ ⠀ Maybe y’all know this already but I figured I’d share just because healthy drinking culture is something I’m super passionate about and I feel called to spread awareness about what a healthy relationship with alcohol looks like!⠀ HAPPH HALLOWEEN

Hey everyone! It’s been a while since I’ve really been active on here... it’s been an incredible humbling and hard last two months. I’ve felt the furthest away from Jesus I have been in a really long time and yet He was so faithful in pursuing my heart. ⠀ ⠀ The crazy thing is... I didn’t think I was that far away. I was going to daily mass, I talked about Jesus with people, heck I’ve been teaching RCIA. It’s crazy how being lukewarm in your faith can sneak up on you. How in such a short period of time you can go from being on fire and in love with Jesus to not really talking with Him at all. For many of us, this is where the devil works best... through the slow introduction of lies. ⠀ You don’t have time to pray today⠀ You can go to confession tomorrow⠀ You’re already doing so much it isn’t a big deal if you aren’t that active in your faith right now. ⠀ These lies crept in and I didn’t even know they were there until one day I realized that daily mass had become an obligatory inconvenience instead of a joyful communion. Then I realized I hadn’t had dedicated prayer time for almost a month. And then on the feast day of John Paul 2 I was sitting in adoration and Jesus looked at me and said - “My beloved, I miss you” and well I lost it haha. So for those of you who like me might have gotten a little lost in the day-to-day... your Beloved is waiting for you to come back to Him. He misses you and desires to spend time with you. How can you give Him even a little bit of your time each day this week?

“Oh my daughter I am so happy that I created you. You bring me so much joy” * As I stared at the Eucharist last night I started to pray so eloquently... oh Jesus I’m so grateful for this week, it has been so incredible, wow Jesus I’m so happy with how everything worked out thank you for the ups and the downs... and then I literally broke down laughing, and I know for a fact God did too, because that is just not at all how I felt about this week. Straight up I was a mess and I am disappointed in how some things turned out, and I’m mad at myself for my inability to say no to people, and wow I could go on. * And Jesus and I just laughed with each other because as I looked at Him and really talked to Him like a friend, instead of like some far away being who expects perfection from me, I was able to be so fully myself in front of Him. I was a little sarcastic, I made fun of myself, and I was finally able to be real with Jesus - knowing that this week might have been His will for me but dang I didn’t enjoy it too much. And as I laughed with Him this phrase came into my head - “My daughter, I am so happy that I created you.” And I was for once in my life left speechless. He truly takes delight in little old stressed out me. That blows me away and as I processed this message I realized it’s something He says to literally every single one of us!! He is so so happy that He made you. He takes delight in you. You have a purpose for being here. You have an ability to love in a way that no one else in this planet will ever love and you have a way to be a mess in a way that no one else can be a mess. You bring delight to your creator. Your beauty and goodness and messiness brings Him joy and He looks at you each day and says - “I am so happy that I made you”

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@Justahandmaiden

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WOMEN! I have felt so called recently to turn this blog into something that’s more than just Instagram and I am so excited to announce my first step to doing just that. If you are in Southern California on December 15 please come to our Baby Shower for Mary!! The whole idea is for young women ages 21 and up to come together for a time of female community, worship, and prayer while bringing essential baby gifts that will be given to @harvesthomela a home for homeless pregnant women and their children. My greatest desire is to create a space for women to come together to create solid Catholic community that lifts us up to heaven and I can’t wait to begin doing this in Southern California. So please please please - take courage and come to this party. I promise it will be worth it (plus there will be delicious food and fun prizes!)

Feelings over my obedience (FOMO) ⠀ ⠀ I was scrolling through Instagram the other day and saw a Instagram video from one of those large mega churches where this young pastor was talking about FOMO and I was very confused... but as I watched the video he talked about how he redefined what FOMO meant - Feelings over my obedience. ⠀ ⠀ Honestly, it seems a little cheesy but dang if it isn’t good theology. How often have I put what I’m feeling in the present moment over what God’s will is for my life. How many times have I chosen to sleep in or watch TV instead of praying because I felt tired or I didn’t feel like God was there. How many times have I fallen into temptation because in the moment it felt really good. ⠀ ⠀ God gave us our feelings for a reason sisters, and I’m not saying we just pretend that they don’t exist because they are a good thing, but they are not everything. Our culture today puts so much weight on feelings. “I feel this way and therefore it must be right.” I feel like sleeping with this person and it feels good so it’s okay if I do it before marriage. Pornography feels good when I’m watching it so it can’t be that bad. It doesn’t feel good when people don’t like me for standing up for my faith so I just don’t do it. ⠀ ⠀ We cannot put our feelings over our obedience to God. God gave us the Church in all her wisdom because He knew that we are fallen creatures who so easily listen to our feelings and assume they are right. People see the Church and it’s “rules” as restricting when in reality they are guidelines that free us from being slaves to feelings. We are more than our feelings and our Church is one of the few institutions out there actively reminding us of this truth. ⠀ ⠀ This quick Instagram video has pretty much taken over my prayer life as I work to navigate so many confusing things in my life right now and I hope that maybe it can help you too

Where are my people-pleasers at?⠀ ⠀ I’m a hard core people-pleaser. Honestly, it’s crippling. I love people, I love making people happy, and I want to serve those around me but dang sometimes it can take over my life. I’m terrified to call people out because I don’t want to hurt them in anyway. I let people step all over me because I’ve convinced myself that it’s better to just let it happen instead of inconveniencing someone else. And worst of it all, I’ve let myself sit in morally ambiguous situations just because I was scared of hurting another’s feelings. ⠀ ⠀ God has been calling this out of me in the most painful ways recently. It feels like he is constantly putting me in situations that require hard conversations, calling people out, and having to choose between obedience to His will or making other people feel good. It sucks. ⠀ ⠀ But my friend sent me this text recently and I’m not kidding I feel like I need to tattoo it on my body and write it on every surface, “You have no obligation to keep people happy but you do have an obligation to be truthful, kind, and moral.” Can I get an amen to that! So many of us women are willing to put ourselves last, to put ourself in morally ambiguous situations, to make sure that everyone else around us is happy but that is not Christian charity. Loving people well is being honest - it’s speaking truth and calling people out when they have strayed from the path and we hope that people do the same for us. As Christians we are obligated to be kind, truthful, and moral even if that means sometimes making those around us unhappy in the moment. Which of these do you need God to give you more grace in today?

HAPPY HALLOWEEN... I gotta be honest with y’all I love Halloween. I love everything about it! Dressing up, the creativity, the food, the drinks, the decorations, the Disney channel originals. But when college came around I began dreading it. ⠀ ⠀ In my mind all Halloween was for college students was dressing up in very small costumes and getting trashed in dingy basements. It sucked cus all I wanted to do was dress up and have a good time but there was always this weird expectation that Catholic students shouldn’t party. ⠀ ⠀ Then I was taught, drinking is not a bad thing. Let me shout this from the rooftops - it is not a sin to drink. Heck, my boy Thomas Aquinas tells us to drink to the point of merriment! It’s okay to want to drink with friends. It’s okay to want to go out and dance and have fun! I feel like our culture has developed this weird divide where you’re either in college party culture or you’re “counter- cultural” which means you can’t drink at all but that isn’t the case. We are called to live our lives in moderation! We are called to live joyfully and freely. Now - this is not the excuse you needed to go out and get totally inebriated- we have a free will and with that will we are meant to pursue virtue. But also dance if you wanna go dancing and have fun!! ⠀ ⠀ And if you want more clear guidelines about what a healthy drinking culture looks like:⠀ 1) drink in moderation: know your limits. I’m a total light weight and I know I’m good after two drinks. ⠀ 2) drink to the point of merriment: according to Aquinas merriment requires fellowship so don’t drink just to get drunk but to be in community with others and forming relationships. ⠀ 3) Drink authentically : so many people change who they are when they get drunk to be “more fun” be yourself and that will draw people in. ⠀ 4) Have fun: you don’t need to be stressed constantly about if it’s okay. Trust your gut, know your limits, but have fun!⠀ ⠀ Maybe y’all know this already but I figured I’d share just because healthy drinking culture is something I’m super passionate about and I feel called to spread awareness about what a healthy relationship with alcohol looks like!⠀ HAPPH HALLOWEEN

Hey everyone! It’s been a while since I’ve really been active on here... it’s been an incredible humbling and hard last two months. I’ve felt the furthest away from Jesus I have been in a really long time and yet He was so faithful in pursuing my heart. ⠀ ⠀ The crazy thing is... I didn’t think I was that far away. I was going to daily mass, I talked about Jesus with people, heck I’ve been teaching RCIA. It’s crazy how being lukewarm in your faith can sneak up on you. How in such a short period of time you can go from being on fire and in love with Jesus to not really talking with Him at all. For many of us, this is where the devil works best... through the slow introduction of lies. ⠀ You don’t have time to pray today⠀ You can go to confession tomorrow⠀ You’re already doing so much it isn’t a big deal if you aren’t that active in your faith right now. ⠀ These lies crept in and I didn’t even know they were there until one day I realized that daily mass had become an obligatory inconvenience instead of a joyful communion. Then I realized I hadn’t had dedicated prayer time for almost a month. And then on the feast day of John Paul 2 I was sitting in adoration and Jesus looked at me and said - “My beloved, I miss you” and well I lost it haha. So for those of you who like me might have gotten a little lost in the day-to-day... your Beloved is waiting for you to come back to Him. He misses you and desires to spend time with you. How can you give Him even a little bit of your time each day this week?

“Oh my daughter I am so happy that I created you. You bring me so much joy” * As I stared at the Eucharist last night I started to pray so eloquently... oh Jesus I’m so grateful for this week, it has been so incredible, wow Jesus I’m so happy with how everything worked out thank you for the ups and the downs... and then I literally broke down laughing, and I know for a fact God did too, because that is just not at all how I felt about this week. Straight up I was a mess and I am disappointed in how some things turned out, and I’m mad at myself for my inability to say no to people, and wow I could go on. * And Jesus and I just laughed with each other because as I looked at Him and really talked to Him like a friend, instead of like some far away being who expects perfection from me, I was able to be so fully myself in front of Him. I was a little sarcastic, I made fun of myself, and I was finally able to be real with Jesus - knowing that this week might have been His will for me but dang I didn’t enjoy it too much. And as I laughed with Him this phrase came into my head - “My daughter, I am so happy that I created you.” And I was for once in my life left speechless. He truly takes delight in little old stressed out me. That blows me away and as I processed this message I realized it’s something He says to literally every single one of us!! He is so so happy that He made you. He takes delight in you. You have a purpose for being here. You have an ability to love in a way that no one else in this planet will ever love and you have a way to be a mess in a way that no one else can be a mess. You bring delight to your creator. Your beauty and goodness and messiness brings Him joy and He looks at you each day and says - “I am so happy that I made you”