Dedication
I dedicate this book to my mother, Anna Hall-Claude. She was a woman blessed with the gift of song and an out-going spirit that drew people to her. As she overcame the obstacles that life had thrown her way, the well-being of her children remained her top priority. To my dismay, at the tender age of four, my mother was shot and killed; leaving me and my seven year old sister with a void that only God could fill. As I watched her take her last breath, she mustered up enough strength to say to me, “Be a good boy,” then she transitioned into the angel God knew we would need. Although her time with us was brief, she accomplished that which God had called her to do. He hand-picked her to bring forth love and care for the warriors He predestined us to be. She did just that. Despite the so few years she had, my mother left a legacy that will live forever through me and my sister, our children, our grandchildren, our great-grandchildren, and so forth. For those who say she was taken before she could leave her mark or fulfill her destiny, I declare that since Anna Hall-Claude was destined to birth two doctors of theology, it is through myself, Dr. Japheth L. Claude and my sister, Dr. Andrea Hall-Leonard, that we claim DESTINY FULFILLED!
The tragedy of that day left me handicap in many ways, but God, being so merciful and wise, used this situation and others that followed to guide me through my Journey and into my destiny. From the natural eye, reaching any level of real success seemed impossible, but it was embedded in my DNA to know and claim the promise that with God all things are possible. It is with this belief and through my relationship with God that I have been able to forgive the man that killed my mother. Now I tirelessly teach, preach, and mentor lost souls in hopes to lead them into the arms of a loving God.
Despite the challenges, I believe my mother knew the value of what had been entrusted to her and did her part to ensure that we were on the path to our destiny. Today, with her watchful eye from above, I’m sure she is ecstatic about what God has done and is doing in the lives of me and my family. Her effort to help lay the foundation for Andrea and me is just one of the things that inspire me to continue working diligently in the army of the Lord.
Thank you, Mom, for your contribution to the development of the person I am today and to the dream that, like Jeremiah, *“…was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones…” *(Jeremiah 20:9 KJV). May this and all future works be represented as part of your legacy and live on forever, bringing glory to God until the day He returns.
With Love, I honor her in this, the first of my published teachings. To God be the Glory.