Meet Maribeth Ditmars

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Maribeth Ditmars. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Maribeth, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

My dying teenage son, Chris, gave me my purpose. After a four-year struggle with leukemia, a struggle where Chris rarely complained and often made us laugh, he peacefully accepted his fate and witnessed to us about heaven. “Mom and Dad, don’t worry about me. Jesus is coming soon. I am ready to go, and heaven will be awesome. And I won’t be bald anymore!”

Observing Chris’s peaceful surrender taught me what it looked like to have a personal relationship with Jesus. First, my purpose was to have my own surrender experience. At the time, I was drinking alcoholically, and I knew that I had to lay that issue at the foot of the cross, just like our Chris did.

Over the years, I have become a student of eternity, and I have been very active in my local recovery community. 12 years after Chris’s passing, we lost our other son, Jarrod ( age 21) in an accident. Miraculously, I had no desire to drink. People kept asking me how I kept going. So now, my purpose is to give them practical Biblical strategies on just how to do that.

I have written 3 books, I speak at Women’s conferences, and I have 21 years sober. But it all started with the precious faith of our dying son.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

As a writer and a speaker, I practice the art of teaching and storytelling. I enjoy sharing Biblical principles while weaving in aspects of my personal testimony.

I love encouraging women and super-sizing their hope! My favorite presentation is my “4 R’s For Renewing Your Mind”. ( Based upon Roman’s 12.2)The 4 r’s are Reach In, Reach Out, Routine, and Rely on God. This can be presented as a keynote, but my favorite way to do it is in workshop format so it can be interactive. When event planners invite me to do this workshop, I bring discussion questions and we always have a good time.

My favorite presentation for luncheons and retreats is “Three Ways to Let Go and Let God”. In this talk, I share the story of how the Lord repaired our shattered marriage. Rob and I have been married for 46 years.

I am delighted when women share that my presentation has helped them gain an eternal perspective on their losses and challenges.

I have a free 8-part series on my YouTube channel, “Finding Hope After Child-Loss”. In this teaching, I share my 4R’s in a format geared specifically for parents who have lost children of any age.

I have been invited to share my story on the 700 Club! (Christian Broadcasting Network). I do not have a date yet, but will keep you informed.

Anyone who has struggled will appreciate my book, Dancing in the Minefields: One Woman’s Faith Journey through Childloss, Addiction, and Adversity.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

1. We can’t do this journey alone. When I got sober, I had to get help. When I was early in my grief, I received counseling. I surround myself with positive people by seeking fellowship with other believers and with folks in recovery.

2. I study God’s Word. The Bible truly has the answers. When I encounter a difficult passage, I research it or ask pastors or people who are more knowledgeable. At first, I was skeptical, but I have since read materials that point out the historical and archeological evidence for Christ. Authors like C.S Lewis, Lee Strobel, and Randy Alcorn have helped me grow in my understanding.

3. We were put on this earth to serve. My greatest joy comes from serving others. God has turned my tragic story into something useful . He has made my suffering sacred! I enjoy mentoring women in recovery and organizing recovery events. I am currently putting together a cruise conference for folks in recovery called “Gratitude at Sea.” Of course, I love serving through my speaking as well. Find some way to serve others, and I promise you will get more than you give!

How would you spend the next decade if you somehow knew that it was your last?

As a speaker, I am always looking for event planners to partner with. I love encouraging women by sharing my story and by offering practical Biblical advice. I can tailor a presentation to go with a particular theme that an event planner might have in mind. Even though my story includes tragic events, I always sprinkle my talks with humorous anecdotes.

I work with most budgets, and would enjoy hearing from event planners and women’s ministry leaders.

Website link: https://maribethditmars.com/
Contact form link: https://maribethditmars.com/contact/
Link to books : https://maribethditmars.com/books/
Phone: 941-650-7773

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Credit: Maribeth Ditmars. I have the rights to my images.

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems,
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Leadership Development
Increasing Your Capacity for Risk-Taking

The capacity to take risk is one of the biggest enablers of reaching your full

Leadership Development
Finding & Living with Purpose

Over the years we’ve had the good fortunate of speaking with thousands of successful entrepreneurs,

Leadership Development
Where does your self-discipline come from?

One of the most essential skills for unlocking our potential is self-discipline. We asked some