Life Began in an Unassuming Way

I was born in Gainesville, Georgia in 1959. I am the biological son of a military person and have lived in Morocco, Mexico, Czech Republic, California, Texas, N. Carolina, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Florida, and traveled in many other states. I once backpacked through the Jim Bridger Wilderness in Wyoming. I think living life in the mountains or woods is a great place to spend time!

At age 15, I was adopted by two psychologists who became a great source of strength and inspiration to me. They are professors at Hardin Simmons University in Abilene, TX where I also earned a Bachelor of Education degree in Counseling and Human Development and minored in theatre. I was voted best actor at my university back in those days and have performed in professional theatre at times. Life in the theatre was always interesting and so exciting!

After the university days I worked as a talent scout for what was then one of the largest talent agencies in the world. Faces International allowed me to meet, teach, groom, and provide artistic input to several actors and models who eventually found work in magazines, commercials, and movies. Life was exciting and I wore a great deal of clothing styled after the Miami Vice show! It was definitely life in the fast lane.

I joined the US Army in 1984 and trained as a Chaplain’s Assistant. The assistant to the Chaplain functions as a driver, bodyguard, intake counselor, administrative assistant, and keeps the chapel ready for various kinds of worship experiences.

Life Does Have Its Challenges!

After leaving the Army, I knocked around a lot and worked at several different kinds of jobs. Life took on a kind of adventure to see what would be next for me.  I have been a machinist, painter, carpenter, landscaper, advertising salesman, desk clerk, bouncer in bars, and waiter in fine dining establishments, circus entertainer (Igor Kasiev and The Riders of the Night), disc jockey, door to door salesman, and other things I cannot presently recall. In 1996, I moved to Athens, GA where I had to live in the Salvation Army for 60 days. I managed to land a job as a cook at Gyland’s Bar and Grill and saved enough money to get an apartment. I encountered a group of people in a church there who would become the dominant influence in my life for the next 15 years. The friendships that were forged during that time last until today.

While living in Athens, Ga I decided to start my own small business and created a cleaning company called Do It Right Cleaning Service. “Do It Right or Don’t Do It At All,” was the company phrase. I went to the public library to use their computers and wrote an 81/2x 11 document about the work ethic my grandmother taught me growing up. Here is that document:

Do It Right Cleaning Service

“Do It Right or Don’t Do It At All”

5855 Lexington Rd.

Winterville, Ga 30683

PH: 678 207 5693

phstowers@gmail.com

Dear Owner:

When I was a little boy, I often lived with my grandmother. Granny Ritch lived in the city and was not so well off. She worked many years in hosiery mills and I was told she was a torch singer at one time. After coming home one day from school, I came upon my Granny sweeping the dirt in front of the house. I asked, “Granny, why do you sweep the dirt?” My dear Granny replied, “Phil, we may be poor but we can always keep a clean stoop.”

That is how she was. My Granny taught me to do a good job even when no one was looking. She said there was goodness to be discovered in giving an employer an honest day’s work for meaningful pay.

I believe that life is sacred and therefore work is holy. Work is an expression of our time, talent, ability, and God given creativity. It should be done with all of our strength and with as much focus as we can muster.

If you decide to let me clean your business and if you go so far as to trust me with the key to your front door…I promise I will never fail to appear every day and put into practice the values my Granny taught me years ago. I will never knowingly leave something undone that should have been done and I will never speak a lie to you.

In trade for this honesty, integrity, and labor I ask you to pay me a fair price for my efforts and promise to me you will never short my wage.

Phil H. Stowers

I purchased a chemical at the local janitor supply called Consume which is an enzymatic digestive. I would walk into a restaurant or bar, hand the story of my Granny to the owner, pick up a dirty ash tray from a table or bar, and pour some of the Consume in the ash tray. After the owner had read the story, I would hand the ash tray to him/her and ask what they smelled. They usually said “nothing.” I would say, that is what your business is going to smell like when I get done with it every day. “Nothing.” No smell. No odors, just clean. After one month, I had four restaurants and three bars each paying me at least $500.00 per week to clean their places! You do the math. And by the way, I never purchased a mop, broom, cleaning chemical, or cloth. The businesses supplied everything. Go figure! Eventually, I hired two people who provided the labor. I did the taxes, shook a lot of hands, and went to the bank a great deal.

Life Goes European and Moves Into Education

In 2008, I moved to Prague, Czech Republic where I earned a TEFL certificate from ITTPrague under the authority of the British Council. My final exam was graded by Cambridge in England and I am certified to teach English as Second Language anywhere in the world. I had 106 students in Prague and love that city. My students still Skype with me and urge me to come back. I seem to resonate a great deal with the style and pace of life in Europe.

In 2009, I decided to return to school to earn a master’s degree in mental health counseling. I am doing it online at the only CACREP accredited counseling program online through Walden University. I am a member of Chi Sigma Iota, the national honor society for counselors and have maintained a GPA of 3.94. I am a member of the American Counseling Association and the American Psychological Association. Not bad for a former homeless guy! This academic program leads to credentialing as a Licensed Professional Counselor. Soon, I will move into the practicum and internship portion of the process where I will complete 700 clinical hours under the guidance and authority of a psychiatrist, psychologist, or another LPC with clinical supervisory hours. After the internship, I will be academically qualified to sit for the National Counselor Examination. Upon successful passing of that exam, the State of Georgia will issue me a license declaring to the public I am legally qualified to function as a Licensed Associate Professional Counselor. After two more years of practice and clinical supervision, I will become a Licensed Professional Counselor. Life will consist of treatment plans, 5 axis diagnosis, therapy, and hopefully life giving moments.

I believe people have six basic needs.

Certainty: The need to be safe and comfortable

Variety: The need for physical and mental stimulation

Significance: The need to feel special and worthy of attention

Love/Connection: The need to be loved and connected to others

Growth: The need to develop and expand

Contribution: The need to contribute to something beyond ourselves

The interesting thing about these needs is that every human being finds a way to get them met. If some thing we are doing in life meets any two of these needs, there is the potential to become addicted to that thing.

My path of growth spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically has been steady, but challenging. I still battle my own demons. But, this one thing I know. I am created in the image of a loving, benevolent Creator who threw away the mold when he made me. My path may have been twisted at times, but it doesn’t mean I have ended up twisted myself. Each experience I have had, each person I have encountered, and each hard lesson that entered my life brought me one step closer to my destiny. Ultimately, I see the path of growth as standing up, falling down, standing up, falling down, standing up and falling down all the way to God’s home.

One of the things I always want to be is an authentic human being. I will never conceal my hurt or disappointment with political correctness or social convention. I will never withhold the good and allow the bad to prevail. I will never restrain my joy and step out of the dance.  I will never stand by and do nothing when everywhere I look there are people who need assistance to know they can still obtain their dreams and become all they were intended to be in this life. I will live this life with complete abandonment to its passion!

Don’t you want to reach your destiny? Can’t you hear the voice of the eternal within you calling you forward to actualize your own unprecedented uniqueness? O my friend! Listen to that voice. It is the voice of the Eternal One calling you away from mediocrity and into the destiny you were made to fulfill. Make it so and may you be blessed as you do it! Selah

May the Lord bless you and keep you.

May the Lord make His face shine upon you.

May the Lord be gracious to you.

May the Lord lift up the light of His countenance upon you and give you Shalom.

To Life!

Phil