Treasured Ministries

Offering women a biblical solution for inner healing

Treasured Devotions

Perspective Shift

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Hi Treasured One,

What was your favorite memory from this past summer?

With fall close at our heels, I am ready to wave goodbye to Summer and welcome pumpkins and butternut squash soup. While happy to see my bathing suits head to the summer clothes storage bin (anyone else but me?!?), I will gladly hold the memories from our family summer Colorado trip dearly in my mind.

Enter our two-day rafting camping trip in the Colorado wilderness rafting down the roaring Arkansas River (emphasis my trip).

When you are married to a great outdoorsman and the mother of two boys who love exploration, on vacay you either join the party of outdoor adventure or sit in the condo.

(Can I get a witness?)

As we watched the safety video detailing rafting risks (which included death BTW), I felt my stomach flutter in fear as I heard their talk,

“Make sure you listen to your guide and let them lead you. Don’t worry about the rocks and the rapids, your job is to listen and follow the guide’s lead, so you can live the great adventure.”

Got it. Listen to the guide. As we signed our life away in the release form, I said a prayer to the Lord, the Ruler of All Nature. “Keep us alive.”

Enter Erika – our guide.  (She is pictured with me in the photo above).

As we began our trip down the river my soul survival mechanism of control kicked in.

While I listen to Erika give commands, in my mind I am questioning her ability and rowing cautiously. At one point I almost fell into the water. Erika must have caught wind of my fear because when my husband pulled me back into the raft she held my eyes with a reassuring look, quickly calming me with her confident voice,

“Don’t worry. If you fall in I will rescue you. I know the river. I know what’s ahead. Just listen and let me lead you. The best is yet to come. Now look up, enjoy the amazing scenery and keep listening to me.”

Shifting my sight up, my eyes rested on beautiful snow-capped mountains. The rushing river soothed my soul as the sound echoed in my ears. My grip relaxed on the paddles and I started to smile.

Adventure ON!

Erika was nothing short of amazing. She gave us clear direction to follow as we successfully navigated around seemingly impossible obstacles of rock and rapids. I can still hear her confident call, “Forward four! Left, give me two back. Lean in.”

Without rocks there would be no rapids. What I feared, she used as leverage to make us flow to our final destination. Mmmmmm

Enter Perspective Shift

Sometimes God uses life’s moments to paint pictures of spiritual principals. Jesus often used parable stories from everyday life to help others capture kingdom concepts. He did this for me on that trip two-day rafting trip in Colorado.

As we paddled, I pondered on this modern-day parable the Lord was painting for me:

  • The adventure of abundant life is not without the absence of adversity.
  • As I listen to the Lord and let him lead me, adversity becomes my advantage to push me in the direction of my final destination. Resilience to bounce back into a broken world comes from resting God’s leading not retreating out of life.

Enter our next Treasured Ministries Weekly Word Series. Resilience: bouncing back in a broken world. In this nine-week study you will:

  • Discover practical biblical principles for resilience as you walk through the entire book of 1 Peter.
  • Gain self-control to respond to the Holy Spirit rather than react to circumstances as you discern God’s truth through the Nourish Bible Study Method. Find additional resources here.
  • Be encouraged by supporting resources for your journey, including our podcast.

Find community with our Treasured Tribe. The Treasured Tribe is a community of women that look to God’s Word to define our identity. Join us for small group every week with our Facebook Live Message on the weekly nourish scripture. Come together live or catch the replay later.

You are God’s child, and whatever happens in this crazy world of ours, you can bounce back and become the woman God created you to be.

ONWARD!

Blessings,

Aliene

Blog written by Aliene Thompson. Aliene Thompson is the founder of Treasured Ministries and the Author of the Nourish Bible Study Series. © 2019 Treasured Ministries.

The Opportunity of Offense

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God never let go of Joseph. God was with Joseph in the pit, the prison, and finally the palace, all the while building his dream. Wise Joseph prepared and guided Egypt through a severe famine, but his greatest test was yet to come: forgiving his family.

Offenses from those closest to us hit our hearts hardest because of the proximity we share. We have all been there. You might be in that place right now. But what if we saw offense as an opportunity?

Sometimes if we shift our focus on a matter, our perspective can change. Let’s take a second look at forgiveness. Let’s shift our focus and see offense as an opportunity to trust the Dream Builder.

Understanding Forgiveness

Opposed to our human nature and often misunderstood, forgiveness is a hard concept to grasp.

Forgiveness is not saying that what happened was okay.

Forgiveness does not mean forgetting what happened.

Forgiveness does not mean trusting the person—but it does mean trusting God to handle the situation.

Joseph forgave his brothers but wisely tested their hearts to see if he could trust them. Joseph cared for his brothers, yet there were physical boundaries in place. His brothers did not work side by side with Joseph—they served as shepherds in the fields. In Genesis 50 after Jacob died, we see that the brothers feared that Joseph would finally seek revenge. This indicates to me that their relationship was not intimate.

Boundaries are healthy and biblical, but bitterness is not. However, when you grow up believing that boundaries or saying no is wrong, sometimes the only boundary we know how to set is that of the bitterness in our hearts. And all the while in our misunderstanding we are playing right into the enemy’s hands as bitterness fills our hearts and creates a barrier to the presence of the Holy Spirit, not our offender.

Forgiveness is letting go of your right to retaliate by releasing your offender to God. 

If you retaliate, you are allowing your offender to control your life. If you repress your emotions or deny them, you’ll swallow that anger and plant the seed of bitterness in your soul. Revenge, repression, retaliation—they all put you in a prison. But releasing the offense to God allows the great I AM to control your life. And with that release comes freedom.

Being real about your hurt and bringing that pain to God opens the door for healing. Showing love to your enemy dissolves your offender’s power to hurt you because it confirms that God is in control of your life. As you look to the Lord to defend you—he will! As you look to the Lord to restore what is lost—he will! Redirect your energy by pouring it into your purpose.

Offense can be an opportunity, not an obstacle, when we see it as an open door to trust God. When you release others, you open your hands to receive from God, the only one who can redeem and restore.

“Joseph replied . . . ‘You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. No, don’t be afraid. I will continue to take care of you and your children.’” (Genesis 50:19–21).

The Power in Love

God wants you to be powerful, not passive. But God’s power does not rest in revenge—it rests in love. Love is a powerful force and puts God in control instead of your offender. Spend your energy on your purpose—not dwelling on buried hurts or revenge. Focusing on God’s purpose for your journey is an essential, effective way to live. You are not responsible for your offender’s actions, but you are responsible for how you respond. God saw what happened to you. He is not asking you to say that what happened was okay—but he does want you to turn it over to him.

God has a dream for you. Amazing things can happen when you give control of your life over to the Dream Builder and trust him with childlike faith.

What is your dream? Only when we lay our dreams at the feet of Jesus in complete surrender will we find freedom and the real joy that comes only from trusting Jesus as Lord over our lives. Your Dream Builder will meet your deepest needs at the place of greatest surrender. Onward. You matter. Your purpose matters. Don’t give up. Instead, give in and watch God build his dream through you.

The devotion you read today is taken from Dream Builder: a six-week study on Joseph and the Patriarchs from the Nourish Bible Study Series. Consider Dream Builder for your next Bible Study and find the courage to dream again.

Nourish Scripture:  Genesis 50

Blog written by Aliene Thompson. Aliene Thompson is the founder of Treasured Ministries and the Author of the Nourish Bible Study Series. © 2019 Treasured Ministries.

Soul Source of Courage

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Young Joseph caught the eye of Potiphar’s wife, and she sought after the handsome young servant. Instead of using her influence for good purposes, she wielded her power to satisfy her own desires.

How long had Joseph served in Potiphar’s house before she decided to seduce him? Was there intimidation in the inflection of her voice as she boldly invited Joseph to come to her bed?

Day after day, with persistence and manipulation, she did her best to wear Joseph down and gain control over him. But Joseph stood strong in the Lord. Finally, in an act of desperation, she grabbed Joseph’s arm, presumably to embrace him. But he squirmed out of his cloak and fled the house, leaving her embarrassed and wrathful.

With the cloak as her “evidence,” she crafted a lie to cover her shame. He had fully rejected her, and now he would pay. This time instead of being hurled into a pit, he was thrown into a prison. Although Potiphar’s wife was more powerful than Joseph, she was no match for the Dream Builder. God was with Joseph, and God is with you.

If God is for us, who can be against us?

Whom Shall I Fear?

Potiphar’s wife may have been a young beauty, a physical peer to Joseph. If that were the case, I am sure Joseph’s body was crying out to give in, yet he refused. Or perhaps she was middle-aged or unattractive. Even so, from the world’s point of view his position and security were in her hands, but still Joseph refused.

This inspires me.

What was the source of his courage?

In two verses of Scripture we receive a life-changing revelation:

“How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her. (Genesis 39:9–10 NIV)

While Potiphar’s wife was powerful, God’s influence in Joseph’s life was exponentially greater. Even though Joseph was afraid, he chose to do the right thing.

He was more afraid to sin by refusing God than he was to refuse Potiphar’s wife.

The world would have seen Potiphar and his wife as the source of Joseph’s success, but Joseph knew his real source. God was the source of his courage, his strength, and his convictions. He knew Potiphar’s wife was small compared with the God of Abraham. Joseph feared the Lord more than he feared people.

God Will Lift Us Up

God will rescue, restore, redeem. Joseph was not a victim. He humbled himself under God’s mighty hand, and in due time God lifted him up for his purpose (1 Peter 5:6–7). As Joseph sat in prison, it seemed that Potiphar’s wife was still in control. But the Dream Builder, in his own time and in his own way, rescued Joseph from prison. In one moment the Lord promoted Joseph to second in command in Egypt.

In one moment God can redeem what was lost in a lifetime.

Everything Joseph touched flourished. God gave him favor and success. Joseph knew that God was the source of his blessing, so he was free to serve God alone.

The problem is not with the people—it is with our perspective of people. People are not the source of your dream. Release your fear of people by changing your perspective of God. God is your source, brave heart.

Yahweh. God. The Lord is his name. King of Kings. Lord of Lords. He is a strong tower. A fortress. He is mighty to save. The winds and waves obey his commands. “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come” (Revelation 4:8 NIV).

He is Lord over all, including your purpose. Onward!

The devotion you read today is taken from Dream Builder: a six-week study on Joseph and the Patriarchs from the Nourish Bible Study Series. Consider Dream Builder for your next Bible Study and find the courage to dream again.

Nourish Scripture: Genesis 39–41

Blog written by Aliene Thompson. Aliene Thompson is the founder of Treasured Ministries and the Author of the Nourish Bible Study Series. © 2019 Treasured Ministries.

True Validation

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The Dream Builder builds the dreamer and the dream. Other people cannot validate your purpose. But often we look to people we can see to validate us and find ourselves on an endless, meaningless quest.

But you are God’s chosen treasure, designed for a unique purpose. Daily embrace this truth in the core of your heart and find freedom to become the woman God created you to be.

Joseph’s Bold Move

Joseph’s brothers, full of envy, could not validate Joseph—or his dream. When Joseph made a bold move describing his dream to his brothers, I believe he had a strong faith in God and was excited about his dream. But I also believe he hoped his bold announcement would prove to his brothers that he was valuable and significant.

Look, brothers! Your hateful words about me were wrong. God thinks I am special. One day you will bow down to me. I am important—you were wrong.

In contrast to Joseph’s brothers, his father, Jacob, loved him deeply. Because Joseph was the favorite, I found his father’s reaction to the dream fascinating. He did not validate Joseph—he rebuked him! Was there a part of Jacob that was afraid to let go of his beloved son? Would Joseph need him anymore? Was he afraid his son would fail? Was he disappointed in Joseph’s poor judgment in parading God’s plan before his brothers, who hated him?

Whatever the reason, when Joseph proclaimed God’s purpose for his life, neither his brothers, who detested him, nor his father, who adored him, validated his dream.

What people in your life are like Joseph’s brothers? So insecure in themselves that they cannot speak kind words to you.

If you look to them for value, you will always leave their presence feeling “less than.”

Look to the Dream Builder

Trying to change those who envy you is a losing battle. You cannot stop them from being jealous of you. That is their choice. But you can choose what voice you will listen to and how you will live.

What about the “Jacobs”—those people in our lives who love and give to us in amazing ways, as Jacob loved his son?

Others may love us greatly, but we cannot expect them to validate our worth. That is an unrealistic expectation that puts a severe strain on any relationship.

Don’t look to them. Don’t even look to your achievements. Look to the Dream Builder.

God’s gifts and call are irrevocable (Romans 11:29). Those treasures inside you are yours for life. Your gifts are yours, but what you do with them is your gift back to God. Draw your validation from the Dream Builder, and from that place of abundance share your gifts with others and make a difference.

The devotion you read today is taken from Dream Builder: a six-week study on Joseph and the Patriarchs from the Nourish Bible Study Series. Consider Dream Builder for your next Bible Study and find the courage to dream again.

Nourish Scripture:  Genesis 37

Blog written by Aliene Thompson. Aliene Thompson is the founder of Treasured Ministries and the Author of the Nourish Bible Study Series. © 2019 Treasured Ministries.

Redirection

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Like strong winds that detach dandelion seeds, pushing them to new ground to flourish, sometimes rejection can be God’s redirection to position us for our purpose.

Joseph experienced truth in his life.

God Redirected Joseph

Joseph is often remembered as one who wore a rainbow. Beautiful, multicolored brilliance cascaded over his shoulders and down his arms. His coat of many colors was a generous gift from Jacob, his father. It was also a flagrant display of this father’s favoritism toward his seventeen-year-old son. Putting on that glorious garment each morning must have reminded Joseph of his father’s great love. But the richly ornamented robe was also a thorn in the side of his eleven brothers, a constant reminder that Joseph was the favorite.

One night Joseph had a dream, and then another a few nights later. The dreams showed him in a position of power and greatness. He would become so great that even his brothers and his father would bow down to him. He told his family about the dreams, and the envy brewing in his brothers’ hearts finally spilled over.

They tossed Joseph into a pit.

The pit did not prevent Joseph’s dream from becoming a reality—God was with Joseph.

The pit put necessary boundaries in place for Joseph to be away from his family. His brothers hated him and could have potentially killed him if he had stayed around, because they had not dealt with their jealousy and envy. Joseph also needed to be away from his doting father to learn dependence on God. Because Jacob was so attentive to Joseph, the young man may not have been motivated to lean on the Dream Builder.

Sometimes we have to be pushed out of the nest, pruned, and even allowed to spend time in the pit to learn we can fly on the wings of the Holy Spirit (John 15:2). 

The pit also moved Joseph to a place where he would receive the provision necessary for his dream. At that time Egypt led the world in knowledge, medicine, and wealth. However, Egypt was a destination Joseph probably would have avoided because God had called his chosen people to Canaan. Also, Egypt was a reminder of negative history in Joseph’s family. Abraham had previously made two trips to Egypt, each time making poor choices that resulted in negative consequences (Genesis 12:10; 20:2). But the pit forced Joseph to move to Egypt, the place he needed to be.

God Had a Plan for Joseph, and He Has One for You

The brothers’ intent was evil, but the pit would propel Joseph into God’s purpose. Joseph’s betrayal by his brothers activated his adventure of living the dream God had given him.

That dream, after all, was not Joseph’s alone—it was also God’s dream. It was God who had created that dream in Joseph’s mind as he slept.

And when God designs a dream, he opens a door that no one can shut (Revelation 3:8; Acts 5:38–39).

God’s ways are so different from ours (Isaiah 55:8–9). Perhaps you don’t understand why you are in a particular place or situation—but God does! And he has a plan. If you have been rejected, shake the dust off your feet and trust that God is planting you somewhere you can bloom (Matthew 10:14).

The devotion you read today is taken from Dream Builder: a six-week study on Joseph and the Patriarchs from the Nourish Bible Study Series. Consider Dream Builder for your next Bible Study and find the courage to dream again.

Nourish Scripture: Acts 7:8–16; Psalm 105:16–22

Blog written by Aliene Thompson. Aliene Thompson is the founder of Treasured Ministries and the Author of the Nourish Bible Study Series. © 2019 Treasured Ministries.

Finding Your Purpose

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Just as God gave a dream to Joseph, God has a dream—a calling—for your life.

The Dream Builder wants every woman to walk through the door of her God-given dreams, but he may give each one a different path to follow. Sometimes when we look to another instead of the Author of our Soul, discerning our direction becomes difficult. Our breakthrough comes when we stop, listen, and follow God’s leading in our lives.

That’s why a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is so important: God’s dream is revealed through our relationship with him.

The Door to Joseph’s Dream

The door leading to Joseph’s dream had actually opened many years before, when God gave a vision and spoke a promise to Joseph’s great-grandfather Abraham. Joseph’s dream was part of the fulfillment of his great-grandfather’s dream.

Abram (later named Abraham) listened to God’s voice. Because he listened, he established a nation that would be a blessing to all people. Through Abraham’s descendants the Messiah would come and bring forgiveness and life to all who would join the family of faith. Although he made plenty of mistakes and missteps along the way, Abraham continued to listen to God, and God was faithful to build his dream through this man of faith.

The remarkable truth is that through faith in Christ, you are grafted into Abraham’s family (Romans 11:17). Joseph’s roots are not his alone—they also belong to all who believe in Jesus. You have a stake in your family heritage of faith. Part of your inheritance is the new covenant blessing of the Holy Spirit to lead you to the life you were created to live and give to others.

Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, so that we who are believers might receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith. (Galatians 3:14)

The Holy Spirit lives inside every believer and speaks to us every day, everywhere. One primary way the Spirit speaks to us is through God’s written Word, which is alive and active (Hebrews 4:12). There is a relationship between God’s Word and the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 6:17; John 1:1; 2 Timothy 3:16).

Finding Your Purpose by Following the Holy Spirit

As you keep in step with the Holy Spirit, you will find the pathway to God’s destiny for your life. Each step he gives you as your dream unfolds is like another thread in an unfolding tapestry of God’s design. The Lord spoke to Abraham in a vision. Jesus came to earth to dwell with humanity. A blessed truth of the new covenant is that the Holy Spirit can lead us to the life we were created to live and give to others.

When Abraham listened to the Lord, the experience was life changing. When you believe God will speak to you—not just to Abram or Joseph—it will be a turning point for you too.

Moment-by-moment choices will frame your world. Whom will you allow to write your story? Take the pen and place it in the Author’s hand by surrendering to his words so he can shape your soul.

You are blessed to be a blessing. God wants to plant a dream in your heart. This is your heritage; this is your future. It was Joseph’s story, and it is also your story. God is a Dream Builder, and he will lead you into your unique destiny as you listen to and follow the Holy Spirit.

The devotion you read today is taken from Dream Builder: a six-week study on Joseph and the Patriarchs from the Nourish Bible Study Series. Consider Dream Builder for your next Bible Study and find the courage to dream again.

Nourish Scripture:  Galatians 3:1–14

Blog written by Aliene Thompson. Aliene Thompson is the founder of Treasured Ministries and the Author of the Nourish Bible Study Series. © 2019 Treasured Ministries.

Dream Builder

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God our Dream Builder is a rebuilder. A God-ordained dream never truly dies, but sometimes our hope does when life falls apart.

To every woman out there who has lost hope to dream: I have been there. But I found hope to dream again through Joseph’s story. And you can too.

Joseph lived a life full of trials. But Joseph’s trials were merely the stepping-stones that God used to build his will in Joseph’s life, which ultimately saved hundreds of thousands of lives.

Welcome to Dream Builder, a six-week study on the life of Joseph. Over the next six weeks you will…

  • Find courage to dream again as you walk through the story of Joseph.
  • Lose your fear of failure as you discover that God is a rebuilder—in our weekly devotions taken from the Dream Builder Nourish Bible Study Series.
  • See offense and adversity as opportunities to build your dream, not obstacles to stop it.
  • Gain direction to confidently walk in the direction of your God-given purpose as you apply the Nourish Bible Study Method to our weekly Nourish Scripture.

God’s Dreams for Our Lives

God’s dreams were designed before we were born—to bring him glory (Ephesians 2:10). God places those desires in our hearts as seeds to stir our hearts for a harvest. Often it is the adversity in our life that tills the soil of our hearts in such a way as to provide a greater harvest as we are pushed to depend solely on Jesus.

Our pain becomes our purpose.

Our mistake becomes our message.

Our rejection becomes God’s redirection.

Our failure becomes his foundation to build.

However, sometimes when this adversity hits we stop dreaming. Hope fades. God becomes smaller. And then we all lose out because every woman’s purpose matters. She is a part of God’s plan designed to make a difference.

Brave heart, it is time to dream again. Sometimes our dreams have to fall to the ground to create a greater harvest. Like Joseph, you are created for a purpose beyond yourself. Press beyond life’s challenges and move forward with God’s dream for your life to become the woman God created you to be.

Forward this blog to a friend and invite her to join you!

Let’s do this!

Blessings,

Aliene

Blog written by Aliene Thompson. Aliene Thompson is the founder of Treasured Ministries and the Author of the Nourish Bible Study Series. © 2019 Treasured Ministries.

Benediction

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She did it. She stood back up again. It happened slowly. One small step of faith at a time she conquered the rock-climbing wall of adversity she faced. She found a source of limitless strength and stability. By clinging to Jesus, she was able to climb.

Daily declaring His truth provided essential nourishment for her journey.

“Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:4)

Discover True Freedom through Jesus

Only by encountering Jesus and embracing his words through faith will we find true freedom. Finding your core identity and purpose is not about frantically striving to be someone; but surrendering to Jesus by allowing his Word to define who you are and the purpose for which you were created.

Jesus wants you to see yourself the way he sees you. When we receive his love for us, we find a freedom to give truly to others the way God intended.

As we close our Following Jesus Finding Life Weekly Word Series, allow His words to sow seeds of encouragement in your heart. Let this day and every day begin by declaring truth to nourish your heart. Print this and post where you can see and speak His truth. ONWARD!

Through Christ, I am a daughter of God Almighty. He has chosen me to be his child (John 1:12), ambassador (2 Corinthians 5:20), and princess (Galatians 4:7; 1 Peter 2:9).

I am his treasure designed for a unique purpose (Deuteronomy 14:2; 1 Peter 2:9; Ephesians 2:10).

His love for me is unconditional and endless (John 3:16; 1 John 3:1; Ephesians 3:18), and his power is made perfect in all my weaknesses (2 Corinthians 12:9–10).

 In Christ, I am completely accepted and in right standing with my Heavenly Father (Galatians 2:21; Ephesians 1:4–5). I praise you for your grace (Ephesians 1:7) and your favor (Psalm 5:12) that surround me. Thank you, God, for the treasure of your resurrection power living inside me (Ephesians 1:19–20; 2 Corinthians 4:7).

I worship you as my healer (Matthew 8:17), my restorer (Psalm 23:3), and my Dream Builder. You alone are God and you are good. You are for me (Romans 8:31), and I can overcome because Christ overcame (1 John 5:4). I am redeemed (1 Peter 1:18–19). I was created for your glory (Ephesians 2:10). I am a new creation; the old has gone and the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Open my eyes wide to the plan, provision, and purpose you have for my life. I trust your love and surrender my steps, big and small, that Christ may live through me. I choose today to listen to your voice above all others. I am ready to cut new paths—blazing a trail for your glory, resting in your strength. Give me the courage to believe I am your treasure and give me the commitment to follow you so I can be an avenue of your love as I live for you alone. Amen.

Follow Jesus. Find life and live as God intended!

Nourish Scripture: Luke 1:46-55

Do you want to connect to God’s Word in a way that transforms the way you live? Download Nourishing Your Heart today!

Blog written by Aliene Thompson. Aliene Thompson is the founder of Treasured Ministries and the Author of the Nourish Bible Study Series. © 2019 Treasured Ministries.