Recently, I asked Health Tip readers if I should retire upon my 80th birthday coming up on February 12, 2014. I was looking for some input from our readers and the response was overwhelming – that I should NOT retire. Almost 300 have responded thus far. A few of their letters appear below and after those letters I share what I feel God would have me to do regarding retirement.
“Until December 31, 2013, I am in the same decade as you only 4 years younger. I turned 76 years old in July 2013, two months after completing my Hallelujah Acres Health Minister Training in May. Thanks to a talented and health conscious wife, who has always implemented every healthy diet change she discovered, we have almost totally avoided all health issues, having experienced none of the serious big ones that are unfortunately been plaguing others in our families and circle of friends at church. We take absolutely no drugs, but do take a few nutritional supplements. I have been officially retired for 21 years, but we have always kept a very busy schedule and continue to do so. What I can’t visualize is selling our home, putting my feet up in a condo someplace and reading the paper. Frankly I can’t see you doing that either. My advice to you would be to do whatever you want to do, on a week by week basis. But as long as you enjoy helping others and remain healthy, I’m betting you will continue the excellent health tips and at least some of the seminars. Thanks for the example you set of a consistent, godly, and sensible lifestyle. You have been and are and I hope will continue to be an inspiration to me.” ~ Health Minister Ken B.
“I have mixed feelings about George retiring. He is a powerhouse of information and has helped us all for so many years. I want to say ‘yes, retire and enjoy what time the Good Lord has for you and Rhonda’. On the other hand, I hate to see you retire. What will we do without you? I know I’m being selfish, but I would greatly miss you if you were to completely retire.” ~ Polly B.
“Approaching 80 and the question of whether you should retire is a question with an answer only you can acquire. My wife and I attended your seminar a few years ago and were inspired by your energy, sincerity, and genuine desire to help others achieve what God designed and intended for us all to be – healthy and vibrant! George, if you enjoy what you do then it is not work but simply your passion to help others. When you have finished your race, no doubt the Lord’s comment will be ‘Well done thou good and faithful servant.’ I am 62 years old, on the Hallelujah Diet, and just finished running a marathon. There are moments when I, because of the Hallelujah Diet, envision myself running when I am in my 80s. Thanks for everything George and Rhonda!” ~ Brian L.
“Dear Dr. Malkmus, As much as I and many others would miss your smiling face, I think you should retire. You have been doing seminars across America and around the world for over 20 years and deserve some rest, after doing your best to help so many others restore t heir health. My suggestion would be that you cut back on all seminars that require traveling and having the distant seminars presented by other enthusiastic members of your Hallelujah Acres team. If you’d like to continue writing, and we so enjoy reading your weekly Health Tips, cut back on the frequency of those and write a book instead. Just continue enjoying life while taking a step back. Thank you so much for all you’ve taught us over the years. May God bless whatever YOU decide to do!” ~ Health Minister Mary Ann S.
Rev. Malkmus' Decision
First I want to thank the hundreds of you who wrote and shared their thoughts concerning my retirement question. Each letter was special to me and so encouraging – to think that my writings and seminars had affected the lives of so many. I will continue in future Health Tips to share more of these e-mail letters. Well, after reading all your letters, and I read every one of them, and after talking to Rhonda and my Heavenly Father, I have decided to continue keeping on with my Health Tips and seminars. Only my seminars will be limited to the southeast, and mainly in Florida where we now live. For more than 20 years, I have delivered well over 1,000 God’s Way to Ultimate Health seminars in the six largest cities in both Australia and South Africa, and in addition in almost every province in Canada and in most states in the United States. In Texas some years ago I delivered 16 seminars in 17 days. I have loved and still love sharing these seminars, but I must admit that I have not and still do not enjoy being away from home, sleeping in a different bed in some motel, and not being able to eat the healthy foods I so enjoy at home. I don’t know what I would have done without BarleyMax when I was on the road. As far as the weekly Health Tips are concerned, I will continue for the foreseeable future writing the weekly Health Tips as long as people are finding them helpful and that readers are sharing the information contained within with others. Your letters are a great source of encouragement to keep ‘preaching it’! The Health Tip you are reading is consecutive issue #832. That means I have been writing these weekly Health Tips for 16 years. Each issue is equal to a chapter in a book. So in my Health Tips, I have written a book of 832 chapters. WOW! You can read issues as far back as 2009 by clicking on the "clock" icon on the left side of the main Health Tip web page. Older Health Tips can be found here. I hope you will support my seminars in the future with your prayers, attendance, and by encouraging others to attend. I may at a future time cut back to every other month but following is what I have committed to for the next nine months. Most of them are in Florida where we live, but three times a year I go back to Charlotte, North Carolina.- November 2 – Charlotte, North Carolina
- December 7 – Tampa, Florida
- January 4, 2014 – Jacksonville, Florida
- February 1 – Altamont Springs (Orlando), Florida
- March 1 – Charlotte, North Carolina
- April 5 – St. Augustine, Florida
- May 3 – Tampa, Florida
- June 7 – Charlotte, North Carolina
- July 5 – Orlando, Florida
