Staff Reviews

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GOLD WINNER OF THE 2023 ICBA

Young Adult Christian Non-Fiction Category!  

— ICBA JUDGE PANEL

Life is full of uncomfortable situations that may cause a person to question the validity of God or the reasons behind their pain. BECAUSE OF YOU I LOST EVERYTHING is full of true stories about Rev. Jim Darnell Jr. and his missions in Africa with his Father.  Through scriptures and personal stories, it becomes evident that only when everything is lost, can we truly find God.  Rev. Jim Darnell counts more than 62 churches across Africa, South America, and North America that his parents physically created themselves. Jim's entire life was spent watching God work miracles in the lives of people across the world. 

Through The missionaries, Jim learned at a young age to live for God and spread love like Christ.  His father taught that a life lived for personal dreams is a selfish, un-Godly life that leads to soul poverty.  Also, getting saved quickly in the end, only to die "safely", is not the purpose for salvation--The purpose for salvation, according to Rev. James Darnell is to live a life for God and only God and only then is true salvation present.  When salvation is rushed on a dying person, they never experience the joys God provides the souls when salvation is part of life.  

Today, people work all day, spend most of their time away from family, come home to their big houses full of endless comfort and convenience and keep wanting more.  Many of these people endlessly buy and want more, yet never feel fulfilled.  BECAUSE OF YOU I LOST EVERYTHING strips down the human lifestyle to bare minimum.  It shows that life is not about the material items surrounding a person, but how they live for others and fill their soul with love from God.  Only then will they be fulfilled. Losing everything is really losing nothing and gaining everything through God and his salvation. 

Rev. Jim Darnell, Sr., may he rest in peace, carried forth God's values to Rev. Jim Darnell, Jr. and the lessons learned in Jim's entire lifetime are passed on in BECAUSE OF YOU, I LOST EVERYTHING.  Worth the read!  

  STAFF PICK and Recommended by the ICBA Panel of Judges! 

— ICBA JUDGE PANEL