I Got My Halo

By Corkey Mabrey

I Got My Halo is a book about me growing up in West Virginia, my struggles throughout my life, and the molding of who I sought to be. Trouble always comes your way, and through adversity, we become triumphant. Sometimes in life, I do believe the Lord allows Satan to toy with our everyday struggles in life—me being no exception to heartache and struggle. The book starts off from my younger years, never realizing I was being season for another role in life. Topics in the book relate to discernment, deliverance, bipolar, and how I received my halo. Through my struggles in adversities, accidents, failures, and true trials and tribulations, I learned the true purpose for which I was born.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Feb 9, 2019
• ISBN: 9781796014716

Corkey Mabrey

I was born in a small town of Bluefield, West Virginia. Small town of maybe 20 thousand. I have five brothers and five sisters. My family was poor and didn’t even own a car. However, we all received unconditional love and affection. I am sixty one years old. I have an Associate Degree in Aerospace Equipment Technology. Equivalent to Industrial Maintenance Degree. I served twenty years in the Air Force. Receiving a Honorable Discharge. Spent many years as a maintenance mechanic. Today I’m am currently retired. I thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for never giving up on me.

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Copyright © 2019 by Corkey Mabrey.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2019901519

ISBN:                Hardcover                978-1-7960-1473-0

                          Softcover                  978-1-7960-1472-3

                          eBook                       978-1-7960-1471-6

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. [Biblica]

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 02/08/2019

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CONTENTS

Introduction

Chapter 1   Elementary Years

Chapter 2   Discernment

Chapter 3   Coming of Age

Chapter 4   Day of Reckoning

Chapter 5   Deliverance

Chapter 6   Halo

I write this in memory of Gilda, who passed away at sixty years old, and my mom and dad, who I believe are in heaven, praising our God and Savior.

Today, I humble myself before God.

Special thanks to my wife, Darlene, for being there and caring for me during one of the worst times of my life and to my sisters for their support throughout all my troubles in life.

Introduction

I Got My Halo

I wrote this book to let you know God is alive and that He allows trouble to come your way. Sometimes in life, you are tried and tested. Although we are all given free will to choose as we may, there are consequences that come with the choices we make. Many times, trouble has come my way. My life experiences have made me humble. I had to fall down before I could stand up for Christ, my Lord and Savior. Although my trials in life may seem small, I have learned that pride will destroy your life. In addition, I have seen others suffer traumatic injuries, rising up above all adversities and seeking God to give Him praise and glory. The loss of a loved one and the illness that slowly closes in on your family or you can totally change your happy life. I tell you today that there is a purpose for all the struggles in life.

Chapter 1

Elementary Years

It all started back in 1957. I was born in West Virginia. When I was born, I was not expected to live. I am the youngest of eleven children. My life of challenges began at birth.

We grew up poor, but we were rich in love. Life was simple back then. A man’s word was solid. If he gave you his word, it meant something. Doors were never locked; they were always open. Most moms stayed at home and raised their children. Fathers went off to work every day.

My dad was hurt while working and was disabled. So my mom went to work at the telephone company. Today, it’s like stepping back in time. She was a switchboard operator for BellSouth. She would manually plug a wire into a round circuit hole to complete the phone call.

My family had a party line. Most people don’t even know what a party line is. No, it’s not drinking and cutting up. It’s a designated phone number with four or five extensions.

Let me explain, you use a rotary dial phone, and it rings at all four or five locations. Depending on the number of rings, it’s your house and not your neighbor’s. A funny thing we kids did from time to time was to listen in on our neighbors’ conversations. It was so hard not to laugh.

We were doing something we were not supposed to do, giggling out loud or snickering on the phone, and hanging up and letting them know we heard what they said. Then the other person would say, Get off the phone. I know your mama. Especially when a boy and girl would be talking, we would start breathing hard and making silly flatulent noises. They would get mad. They had a 25 percent chance of guessing as to which one of us had done it.

In my neighborhood, you always knew what was going on. Parents’ conversations were often overheard. Mr. and Mrs. So-and-So was getting a divorce. So-and-So didn’t come home last night. It was no wonder that parents knew what you did before you even came home!

That dang party line would spread all the gossip in the neighborhood. It was similar to how Facebook is today. All the news was broadcasted all over the neighborhood.

As soon as I would walk in the door, my mama or dad would ask me, What did you do? Tell me now and I will be easier on you. They already knew what I had done before I even arrived. I was busted all the time when I got in a fight or did anything wrong in the neighborhood.

My neighborhood was very safe. Parents never worried about their children. Most of the time, the neighborhood kids were always close by.

Life was so simple. I remember the first time I went to Bluestone State Park. My big brother Joel took me there for the first time. The pool was so big, and the water was so clear with that chlorine smell in the air, as in most public pools. It was so neat! I never went swimming in a pool, always creeks and rivers that were all muddy with greenish-tinted water. This was the first for me. I thought I was rich while swimming in clear water in a pool. Amazing how some