Loss is not easy for anyone to face. But when the enemy has attached a stigma to our suffering, the pain intensifies because this adds shame to our loss.

Satan will tell us such lies as:

It’s not ok, to not be okay

You should just get over this, you are not strong in your faith.

This is all your fault.

God must be really disappointed in you.

But by embracing our emotions and seeking God, we can navigate through our loss with courage and resilience. Even in the darkest moments, there is beauty waiting to be born.

Every goodbye paves the way for a fresh start, a new chapter filled with possibilities and growth.

In today’s teaching message navigating through spiritual pain to heal from shame.

ONWARD,

Aliene

Watch our teaching message HERE.

The post How Spiritual Pain Causes Shame appeared first on Treasured Ministries.

Shame is a powerful, painful emotion. Giving rise to a relentless inner critic, shame speaks lies which make it hard to see God’s truth about who we really are.

Our natural instinct is to fight back, relying on our own strength to overcome shame and emerge victorious. We keep pushing, and initially, we may triumph.

However, like a persistent opponent, the inner critic grows louder and that unyielding inner critic makes a comeback.

The truth is, addressing shame without God leads to its multiplication. My codependency set up expectations that resulted in condemnation. Living by my list created a sense of continual failure and inadequacy, breeding more shame. My list-style living extended to relationships, as I felt obligated to meet perceived expectations. 

Trying to resolve shame without God only reinforces it, leading to worry, unbelief, and fear.

Throughout history, self-reliance in combating shame has been prevalent. Just as Adam and Eve tried to cover their shame with fig leaves, humanity has long sought to mask shame independently from God.

BUT GOD! 

Aren’t you so glad Jesus came to take your fig leaves and give you freedom instead? 

In today’s message step into the light, shed those fig leaves and prepare to step into deeper levels of freedom from shame. It’s time for you to shine!

ONWARD,

Aliene

To watch today’s teaching message, click HERE.

The post How Am I Covering My Shame? appeared first on Treasured Ministries.

In past podcasts, I’ve discussed boundaries as beneficial to put God first. But have you ever thought about how boundaries prevent others from trying to make YOU their god? 

Relationships can contain a hidden, unhealthy power struggle, producing unhealthy worship on both ends. 

Walking on eggshells to keep abuse at bay, prevent rejection, or maintain the peace, has the potential to position YOU as their god – holding you responsible for their emotions, actions, and comfort. 

Falsely believing you must never let others down by always being there for them, rescuing or fixing them, steps into God’s shoes. 

Has someone blamed you for their ugly words or actions towards you? Did you shoulder unnecessary shame because you mistakenly thought it was your responsibility? 

While we can appreciate and admire, only the Almighty is worthy of worship.

This spiritual boundary set by God is a vital reason to set boundaries with others. When you don’t communicate limits, others could see you as limitless and lean on you in a way that only God is worthy to bear. 

In today’s teaching message, we are diving into how the blood of Jesus provides spiritual boundaries, inviting us to trust God and lead others to do the same.

ONWARD!

Aliene

To watch today’s teaching message, click HERE.

The post Setting Boundaries to Live Free appeared first on Treasured Ministries.

Codependency led me to live in captivity.  

While no physical prison bars confined me, my controlling tendencies and self-sufficiency robbed me of real freedom and prevented me from walking in God’s power.

All in the name of survival, fear and oppression drove me to develop the faulty defense mechanisms of control and self-sufficiency, instead of walking in God’s power under His protection.

Can you relate? 

One of the enemy’s greatest calling cards is using lies to trigger you to function out of fear, rather than faith – to use your armor to fight and fend for yourself.  

Discovering how to discern God’s voice to set boundaries was a vital part of releasing my armor. I was able to take hold of one of the most powerful parts of God’s spiritual armor – the belt of truth.

God’s discernment will give you guidance to set boundaries His way. 

In today’s message, discover how to grow in your discernment, secure the belt of truth, set boundaries with God’s guidance and confidently live out your calling. 

ONWARD!

Aliene

To watch today’s teaching message, click HERE.

The post How to Discern God’s Voice when Setting Boundaries appeared first on Treasured Ministries.

God is NOT calling you to be a doormat. 

In a perfect world, people respect boundaries. But we all know that life doesn’t work out neat and tidy. 

People are messy.

Just because we set a boundary does not necessarily mean people will respect that boundary. 

Boundary pushers show up in different ways. They display traits like narcissism, immaturity, entitlement, selfishness, privilege, desperation, cluelessness, or a toxic mix of any of these. 

For the love of Pete! These people pursue their desires regardless of your boundaries, often disregarding them completely!

Has someone blown off a boundary you set and you’re looking for how to navigate the situation with wisdom?  In today’s teaching message, discover Biblical strategies to deal with boundary disrespect, God’s Way. 

Much Love,

Aliene

To watch today’s teaching message, click HERE.

The post How to Handle Boundary Disrespect appeared first on Treasured Ministries.

Saying “no” carries its difficulties for everyone.

If you are a codependent, then saying no is especially challenging.

Codependency causes you to become externally referenced, meaning that you look to outside sources to navigate life, find your identity and validate your worth. Seeking this outside input causes a lot of static that can distract you from the Holy Spirit’s leading in your life.

These distractions are like waves that turn your eyes away from the Way Maker. 

Idolatry creates indecision that can impact your confidence to set boundaries. 

The enemy will use your idolatry of man to create confusion and doubt with these racing thoughts…  

Are you sinking in thinking instead of soaring by putting God first? 

God wants to be first in your life. The real you will SHINE out of that relationship!

In today’s teaching message, discover how idolatry brings indecision. Intimacy with God brings confidence in EVERY area of your life, including your confidence to say “no”, so you can put God first! 

It’s time to put God back in the center and live with the joy that flows from putting Him first and becoming who He created you to be. 

ONWARD!

Aliene

To watch today’s teaching message, click HERE.

The post How To Stop Codependency’s Confusion appeared first on Treasured Ministries.

You matter. Your life matters.

And when you own that truth, you can live treasured and walk in the light, to be a light, so that others can live cherished too (Exodus 19:4-5, Peter 2:9).  

God has a perfect boundary system designed to protect what is precious to his heart and this includes YOU! But what is precious to God, Satan loves to attack with his destructive lies.

Do you ever hear thoughts like: 

I have heard all of these lies…and they reinforced my codependency!  Why would I want to depend on God if I believed these lies deep in my heart?  

When I started spending time in God’s Word for myself, I saw everything differently….. because I was looking through the lens of truth with eyes of faith. Here’s what the Holy Spirit has written and sealed so strongly in my heart is that I can live in confidence, security and best of all GOD-DEPENDENCY!

God’s boundary system puts me in the security of his care and protection but most of all, it LIBERATES me to live a fulfilled life and become the woman he created me to be. 

Do you want to live in this freedom too?  

Listen to today’s teaching message and open the gift of God’s boundary system to live in freedom as God intended.

ONWARD!

Aliene

To watch today’s teaching message, click HERE

The post What Does God Say About Boundaries? appeared first on Treasured Ministries.

We do not have to live our lives stuck in patterns we may not even fully understand. We aren’t alone in the search for the root of our pain, and we don’t have to go into what can be a painful experience alone. 

Christ is before us, behind us, and with us. Ask Him to lead you to the pain of your past to allow for genuine and real healing. As we seek Him, we can understand our own hearts and the triggers they have.

We have a lot to relearn, a lifetime of lies and deep-rooted pain, but the power of the cross transcends through time to right those wrongs and confront those lies. 

God’s love is not afraid of where you’ve come from. 

No matter how toxic, He does not see you as too far gone… 

You are simply and wonderfully HIS. 

In today’s teaching message, discover how to let God’s love reclaim your heart and mind to break generational patterns. One day at a time, one step at a time, you can leave blessings in your wake for generations to come. 

ONWARD!

Aliene

To watch today’s teaching message, click here.

The post Breaking Generational Patterns appeared first on Treasured Ministries.

Hello there beautiful soul,

While all loss is difficult; loss as the result of someone going outside of God’s design to meet their needs to the detriment of yours, is devastating. This is because when you are left holding the consequences of someone else’s choices – the loss is compounded. 

And the damage that gets dumped into your lap is not fair…

You didn’t ask for these empty hands. 

You didn’t deserve the loss.

And now you feel vulnerable, powerless, and insecure. 

While it’s unfair, God stands ready to restore the loss so you can move forward. But you must take his hand. For God, not the person who caused the loss, is the healer. You are a child of God and loss is never the end of your story. Jesus is your Kinsman redeemer; his restoration goes beyond what you could have imagined.

Today, we begin a three-part series on God’s restoration from the first chapter of Ruth. Naomi loved deeply and lost greatly but eventually found hope and saw a harvest of restoration. 

And with God’s help, you can find hope and see restoration as well.

So listen to today’s message, discover the first courageous choice to begin redemption, and prepare to heal and move forward.  

ONWARD!

Love,

Aliene

Watch today’s Learning Message or listen to the podcast below.

Walk with Jesus. Walk with Others. Find strength to flourish.

At Treasured Ministries, we believe the remedy for codependency is a healthy connection with God and others. But often, knowing how to do this God’s way can be confusing when we are so used to “people dependency”. The Treasured Tribe offers a biblical healing process through the Nourish Method alongside a safe, private and authentic online community for women to cheer you on as you grow.  

Want to make a difference? Here are three ways you can help our ministry grow at no cost to you:

The post Redemption appeared first on Treasured Ministries.

The world is uncertain. Jesus told us that we would have trouble in this world. He followed this with a command for us to take courage inside our insecure world “take heart for I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Our King remains on the throne. Take heart, treasured one! Take your courage, do not let the threat of darkness in our world push you to throw it away (Hebrews 10:35). 

Draw a line in the sand against the enemy, “We will not let evil win.”

Inside that same passage of scripture in John 16, Jesus reminded his disciples to pray in his name (John 16:23-24). There is nothing more powerful than praying God’s Word. While the world is uncertain, God’s Word stands forever. 

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever. (Isaiah 40:8)

In the parable of the persistent widow, Jesus reminds his disciples to “always pray and never give up” (Luke 18:1). Jesus tells the story of a woman – a widow who was relentless with her cry for justice to an unrighteous judge. 

And against all odds, because a woman was persistent, justice prevailed.

At the end of the parable, Jesus says:

“Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?”(Luke 18:6-8, emphasis mine)

Women of faith, where does Jesus find you today? Let our Lord find his treasured ones praying with God’s power – undaunted and undeterred. Let’s resist fear and rise up with dedicated devotion for our fellow women in Afghanistan to pray God’s Word with persistence.

Your Prayers WILL make a difference! 

Below are verses you can use to pray God’s Word over Afghanistan and its people. We have also created a printable version with the full verses to tuck in your Bible to remind yourself to pray every day.

Please forward to a friend – mountains move when women pray! Let’s get an army of women praying. 

Pray for the Lord’s light to eclipse the darkness. (Matthew 4:16, John 1:5, Job 12:22)

Pray God’s defense those who are vulnerable – the women and the children. (Psalm 68:5, Psalm 72:12-14)

Pray for courage and God’s comfort for his people. (Luke 12:7, Hebrews 10:35-36, Joshua 1:9)

Pray for godly leaders to emerge. (Isaiah 6:8)

Pray for God’s provision in miraculous ways. (Luke 12:24, Philippians 4:16)

Pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:17)

Pray for justice and an end to violence. (Psalm 7:9, Proverbs 21:15)

Pray for wisdom for all world leaders. (1 Timothy 2:1-4)

The post Pray for Afghanistan appeared first on Treasured Ministries.