What do you think?
Rate this book
I'm Still Standing: How God Turned My Pain into Purpose
"This is a remarkable story about a remarkable woman...Why is she still standing and attacking life with faith, hope, and love when most others, given her situation and circumstances, would have given up a long time ago? Well, you're about to find out."
Cal Rychener Founding Pastor of Northwoods Community Church, Peoria, IL author of God Can!
From her earliest memories, Phillis Dewitt lived with sexual abuse, victimized by family members. At age sixteen she was on her own, struggling to build a life with no help or support from family or friends. Free of her family, she was later abused by foster dads, church leaders, and even therapists. But she chose victory over victimhood, and along with her husband built a life filled with over 170 foster kids, many of whom had been sexually abused. She tells her story with brutal honesty, more than a little snark, and an unabashed faith in Christ. Her story of how God turned her pain into purpose will inspire and encourage you.
Cal Rychener Founding Pastor of Northwoods Community Church, Peoria, IL author of God Can!
From her earliest memories, Phillis Dewitt lived with sexual abuse, victimized by family members. At age sixteen she was on her own, struggling to build a life with no help or support from family or friends. Free of her family, she was later abused by foster dads, church leaders, and even therapists. But she chose victory over victimhood, and along with her husband built a life filled with over 170 foster kids, many of whom had been sexually abused. She tells her story with brutal honesty, more than a little snark, and an unabashed faith in Christ. Her story of how God turned her pain into purpose will inspire and encourage you.
148 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 12, 2022
2 people are currently reading
5 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 28, 2025
incredible
Humor amidst some of the hardest things you will read. Excellent testimony and a book well worth reading. Thank you!
Humor amidst some of the hardest things you will read. Excellent testimony and a book well worth reading. Thank you!
October 24, 2022
This book of Phillis's story helped me get to know my friend Phillis a little better than I ever did.
I loved it but was a little disappointed of how she portrayed our church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints). I knew there were issues but had not heard all of it or in such detail before. But I did appreciate that later on she said there are good and evil in all churches and it is not the gospel itself but the people as we are all imperfect. I hate it that she had these experiences and am not sure why this all happened to her especially like I said from our church leaders, except God provided a purpose for her to help others who might have ran into the same problems. I never did but of course I never had all these horrendous events happen to me.
I always admired Phillis and Tony and knew them very well the first few years of their marriage or at least I thought I did as I didn't realize they didn't love each other. I knew she was pg when they got married but didn't realize they were told they HAD to get married by the church leaders.
Like I said I always admired her and Tony and knew she had a strong spirit about her. My ex-husband gave me lots of trouble about being her friend and was one of the non-believers but that's a story for another time also. I loved being around their family. Her children and mine were pretty much the same ages.
I am so glad to know how close she and Tony became and how they worked through all their problems together with the help of the Lord. I feel the Lord brought Tony into her life for the very reason I don't think many men would have done this. I know my ex would not have.
Of course he is my ex after 20 years of him judging others.
This book Phillis has written is such an amazing journey and am so happy that she and I are still friends and that she has given us all the hope and prayer that you can change your life, that you don't have to be a victim.
All I can say is Phillis is an AMAZING spirit and person. I don't know anyone quite like her and that is one of the best compliments I can give her and her book as I have met a lot of people in my 69 years of life. Love you Phillis
P.S. She has had so much more heartache to tell and I pray she writes another of her journey's with her children, especially her youngest son she refers to that fought a hard battle with cancer. You can't go wrong with her book(s) as she is very inspirational. I am so thankful that she is "still standing" as I don't know anyone else who could be after all this.
I loved it but was a little disappointed of how she portrayed our church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints). I knew there were issues but had not heard all of it or in such detail before. But I did appreciate that later on she said there are good and evil in all churches and it is not the gospel itself but the people as we are all imperfect. I hate it that she had these experiences and am not sure why this all happened to her especially like I said from our church leaders, except God provided a purpose for her to help others who might have ran into the same problems. I never did but of course I never had all these horrendous events happen to me.
I always admired Phillis and Tony and knew them very well the first few years of their marriage or at least I thought I did as I didn't realize they didn't love each other. I knew she was pg when they got married but didn't realize they were told they HAD to get married by the church leaders.
Like I said I always admired her and Tony and knew she had a strong spirit about her. My ex-husband gave me lots of trouble about being her friend and was one of the non-believers but that's a story for another time also. I loved being around their family. Her children and mine were pretty much the same ages.
I am so glad to know how close she and Tony became and how they worked through all their problems together with the help of the Lord. I feel the Lord brought Tony into her life for the very reason I don't think many men would have done this. I know my ex would not have.
Of course he is my ex after 20 years of him judging others.
This book Phillis has written is such an amazing journey and am so happy that she and I are still friends and that she has given us all the hope and prayer that you can change your life, that you don't have to be a victim.
All I can say is Phillis is an AMAZING spirit and person. I don't know anyone quite like her and that is one of the best compliments I can give her and her book as I have met a lot of people in my 69 years of life. Love you Phillis
P.S. She has had so much more heartache to tell and I pray she writes another of her journey's with her children, especially her youngest son she refers to that fought a hard battle with cancer. You can't go wrong with her book(s) as she is very inspirational. I am so thankful that she is "still standing" as I don't know anyone else who could be after all this.
January 23, 2024
Jan 2024 Book Club selection
I hate to rate a book low when it’s a true story of someone who lives in my community, but I struggled with the writing style of this book. It was very blunt, and difficult to read. I’m so sorry for the horrible things that happened to the author and I’m grateful for how God brought her through.
I hate to rate a book low when it’s a true story of someone who lives in my community, but I struggled with the writing style of this book. It was very blunt, and difficult to read. I’m so sorry for the horrible things that happened to the author and I’m grateful for how God brought her through.
September 20, 2024
Truly is the worst book I’ve ever read. Writing style is awful
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews