What I Learned From the Institute in Basic Life Principles

When I was about 30 years old I went to my first Institute in Basic Life Principles. I had wanted to go as a high school girl but my parents were a bit suspicious of anything I cooked up with my best friend. I had some friends in high school that, well, let’s just say they made my parents nervous.

When I did finally go I was expecting my fifth child and was in my 8th month. We went to Columbus, Ohio.

I had heard about the famous Bill Gothard and was looking forward to meeting him.

A couple of years earlier my husband had attended a day for pastors. My brother Ken and my husband Jim went and heard things that would greatly affect my life.  We had several years earlier determined that our family size and the blessing of children was something that we could manage ourselves. In light of our situation we determined that my husband should undergo a vasectomy to keep us from having any unwanted children or the added financial burden of a bigger family. We already had four children. Wasn’t that plenty?

Well, when Jim returned from the seminar he shared with me his desire to return his body to the way it was created and leave the decision making reguarding  family size to the provider and creator. I was so excited. I had felt that we had made a mistake from the beginning but didn’t know there was a way out. Jim was scheduled for a reversal of his surgery and we prayed that the Lord would provide the $6,000. needed for the operation. When the operation was complete our insurance paid the bill in full. Only three months after his surgery we conceived our precious son, Jesse Levi.

Well, back to the IBLP. I had fully expected to get to the seminar and see the same Mr. Gothard that my husband had met at the Pastor’s Seminar. It wasn’t until I arrived and began the seminar that my husband explained that it was always done like this. A recording of Mr. Gothard on an overhead and mountains of notes. I was a little disappointed. Ok, I was really ticked.

But, an interesting thing happened. As I began to listen and learn I discovered that so many struggles that I was experiencing in my marriage and life in general could be traced to principles that I had failed to recognize. I came away with a huge picture of God’s design and practical ways to live according to God’s plan.

One of the real benefits of releasing the control of our fertility to the our Father in Heaven was the blessing of more children.

Just one year and 7 months after Jesse was born our daughter Chelsie was born. Jesse and Chelsie are currently serving the Lord as missionaries.  Jesse is in China and Chelsie just returned from Cambodia and is working in a Christian camp.

Then, just one year and 9 months later we all welcomed Lois Ashley to the family.

Then, Just one year and 8 months later we all welcomed Timothy Isaiah to our family.

Then, just one year and 10 months later we all welcomed Seth Matthew to our family.

Then, 2 years and 8 months later we welcomed Andrew Paul to our family.

Then, 2 years and one month later we welcomed Andrea Hosanna to our family.

I can not imagine life without our eleven children. God has blessed us beyond measure through our children.

Psalm 127: 3,4,5 – “Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children are a reward from him. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are sons born in ones youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.  They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies.

Good Sense and Taking Back Lost Ground

After numerous physical struggles, most being related to my problem with my kidney disease and subsaquent kidney stones I was directed to the writings of Dr. George Malkmus and the book entitled “The Hallelujah Diet”.  A lady at my daughter’s church recommended it and I read and reread it and then just decided it wasn’t for me. I was not really interested in a diet where I could eat no meat or cheese.

Then, after finding out my health problems were more extensive than I at first thought I gave the book a second look.
Early this year my husband and I had our blood work done for a physical that was to determine our eligibility for life insurance. I was denied coverage due to the fact that my cholesterol and triglycerides were much too high.

Suddenly the idea of being a vegan wasn’t quite so repulsive. I had also just had a spot of skin cancer removed from my face and remembered that there were some glowing testimonies from some folks that had seen and experienced healing from cancer and many other illnesses thanks to the Hallelujah Diet.

My husband had gotten me a juicer for Christmas but I had never taken it out of the box. Now, I was ready to take the plunge.

We (my husband and I) began juicing carrots and making that our breakfast. For lunch we would have a salad and supper was pretty much the same but with some added cooked food, like a baked potatoe or a piece of bread (homemade whole wheat). We also had fruit whenever we were hungry. I prefer bananas and Jim’s fruit of choice in the winter was oranges. We started our new diets on January 24th.

We had a hard time of it while we were in the Philippine’s in late Feb. and early March.  We took powdered carrot juice called “Carrot Max”and “Barley Max”. We ate a lot of white rice feeling that that would be a better choice  than meat.

Jim lost a whopping 40 pounds and I lost 25. That was a great thing but the real blessing has been some of the other side effects of eating right and the life style changes that we have encorporated.

Let me list them for you in the order that they come to mind.
I sleep all night and wake around 5:30 every morning.

I have had skin tags fall of my face and neck and others just dissolve.

I walk an hour each morning and feel physically fit.

I have no indigestion.

I have no more heart palpations.

What I thought to be a kidney stone turned out to be a mild case of shingles. Everyone I spoke to that had esperienced shingles said they never heard of someone recovering so quickly from the shingles.

No more hot flashes.

Much more energy and no falling asleep while reading.

No more high blood pressure. No more meds.

Smoother softer skin.

Well, I have read a couple other books written by the George Malkmus and his wife Rhonda.

One thing that just seems to jump out at me when I read their work is that we as Americans and Christians seem to have given our bodies over to doctors. We have failed to manage our health responsibly. I am guilty and realize that I have much ground to recover in this area.

I want to be healthy and live a long life with my husband and our families. I also want to teach my children while they are still young and impressionable that we are what we eat.

I remember a verse my son Jeremiah learned one year at camp. I Cor. 10:31 “Whether therefore you eat or drink or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

I also remember a verse that I learned just a few years ago, James 4:17 “To him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”

In light of this truth, it is wrong (sin) for me to eat what I know will hurt my body. The Bible tells us that as Christians, our bodies are the temples of God. We should not put junk into our temples.

Dr. Malkmus, in his book, “God’s Way to Ultimate Health” says that when we eat junk food it is like taking a car and putting cheap quality fuel in it.  Our bodies are much more valuable than cars but we so often neglect them.

I am happy to say that I am trusting God to give me strength to take back ground that I had given to Satan and live in respect and honor to my temple. I have had many failed attempts to eat healthy. My first diet was Weight Wathers. I lost my weight by a delicate balancing act and still only scratching the surface of my problem. I soon was back up on the heavy side and looking for the perfect diet. I have gone up and down so many times and I am really ashamed to say that I have been a very poor testimony in that reguard.

I am praying that the Lord will keep me on track with my new and heavenly eating plan and that I will never stop exercising again. I feel so good but I also know how very weak I am.

Another verse that comes to mind is, Psalm 103:14- “He knoweth our frame, He remembereth that we are dust.”

No, our days are numbered and He knows just what day will be our last. Just the same, He gives us minds to learn and discover His truths.

I am so thankful that someone directed me to the Hallelujah Diet and that is just another milestone in my walk with the Lord.