Storytelling didn't always come easily to Darlene. After praying to God that she would be able to write a book one day, her wish was fulfilled. That very night God started giving her stories in her dreams, and in one year she had written 48 children's stories. “I know He gave these wonderful stories to me because I had never written a book before,” Darlene said in a news release. “I pray they touch every life like they have my family.”

But if there's one fan whose heart is touched the most by her stories, it's Darlene’s daughter and her friends. Darlene said in the news release. “They now want to hear my stories all of the time and beg me for my books. The opinion of children is the best authority to have, because if my Father adores His children so much, how much more will He accept the opinions and authorities of a child over mine?”

So who is Darlene Cozart, I wondered, after reading her book? In an e- mail interview she told me.

Hard Times

After a 1991 Emmy nomination, Darlene got a divorce and ended up losing everything - but she still had a dream. That included starting a whole new life and raising her young daughter the best she could.

So looking for their destiny, Darlene, her mother Pearl and four-year-old daughter Shanaya left Canada in 2001 with $300 in cash and a gas card. Although Pearl was American, Darlene and Shanaya were born and raised in British Columbia (BC). They headed for Calif., where Darlene's mother had a job awaiting her. However, they were not prepared for the high cost of living and their little van, packed with all of their belongings, became their house on wheels.

Darlene’s mother already had a job waiting for her as an agency caregiver for the elderly, many times quite literally a 24 hour a day job.

Darlene said that her mother Pearl was so tired after getting off work that she was unable to look after Shanaya, which would have allowed Darlene to get a night job to add to the family’s income. As a result, Darlene’s task was driving her mother to and from work every day.

Darlene did have an interesting experience, though. She did initially consider going to work for the sane agency by which her mother was employed. During that process, Darlene was required to have her picture taken for a background check

“When the lady took my picture,” Darlene said, “she’d shake her head, because everyone else's pictures came out normal, but mine kept showing an angel standing in front of me. She could see it in each of the three pictures she took of me, but not in the camera when she was actually taking the picture.”

Darlene said the camera was a Polaroid and brand new. The woman taking the pictures tested the camera out with other applicants, but it was only with Darlene that this strange phenomenon occurred.

The lady told Darlene that she must really have an angel watching over her, a statement with which Darlene readily agreed.

During this difficult time in their lives, Darlene said that she, Pearl and Shanaya survived by finding different places to park and sleep each and every night. I'd home school Shanaya, and then we'd bathe at the beach and play in the sand. We had so many miracles happen where angels would just show up and bless us and then disappear.”

An Encouraging Moment

One evening they all needed a special reminder that the Lord was still in charge of their lives, Darlene said. They all visited a nearby mall, and while Darlene was talking on the phone, Pearl and Shanaya went for a walk.

Darlene said, “Pearl looked down and saw what looked like play money. She then picked it up off the white marbled floor where all the people had been walking right over it. She then went back to the van and started counting. Pearl realized that again God had provided us with enough money to buy more food and a hotel room for the night – along with blessing us again with another miracle. I cried when I came out to the van, and looking in saw money sitting on my seat that I knew we didn't have. I knew again that God takes care of our every need. We were homeless, but we were not forgotten.”

The Lord Inspires Darlene to Begin Writing

The next day Darlene took Shanaya to the library, and it was at this point that she was inspired to ask the Lord for His help in writing children’s books. Her prayer was quickly answered, Darlene said.

“That night God started giving me dreams filled with children's stories. I wrote them one right after the other,” Darlene said, “waking up in the nighttime to early hours of the morning to write even more.”

Darlene said she began carrying a binder with her everywhere she went, and writing down every story that the Lord gave her in her dreams. Darlene said she wrote more than 48 stories in one year, while the entire family continued to experience miracles. However, Darlene emphasized that the year was more than just miracles.

She said, “We felt each and every thorn too, but we survived them even when we were climbing the highest mountain heading into Nashville. That was when our van was giving out on us, so we smeared holy oil on the dash and started to pray.”

The arrival in Nashville was after the family had left Calif. and gone to Yakima, Wash., where Pearl worked in a restaurant. As soon as she received her tax refund they trekked 3,000 miles to Nashville, pulling a small U-Haul behind their packed mini van.

Darlene said that following their prayer for the van they experienced a strong sense of God’s presence. “God filled our whole van with a floral scent,” Darlene said, “and our van came to life.”

When they arrived in Nashville, Darlene said, they pulled into a gas station where a mechanic checked out the van. When he heard how many miles the family had traveled, and pulling a trailer as well, he shook his head in disbelief.

Darlene said, “He told us that there's no way we could have come that far pulling that U-Haul trailer with that tiny van, because our battery was stone cold dead, and our fan belt (he showed us) was crumbling like a dead dried leaf right in his hands. He then gave us a free battery, and fixed our fan belt too. We were blessed with miracles like this during the entire trip.”

Meanwhile, Darlene was still having nightly dreams containing children’s stories which years later have just been published by Xulon Press (www.xulonpress.com/book_detail.php?id=4655#)

Darlene said, “And with all the books that I sell I want to help Joy Junction, because they have a real heart of compassion for the hurting.”

She added, “How can anyone understand what people go through unless they have walked a mile in their shoes? Of course, we also had the Lord God our Father all the way with us across Canada and the USA. We prayed and sang his praises with our CD player in the van, and Shanaya, also, singing and praying with us too. It was a journey and we're still on it, even today. So may God bless all of you, and never stop reaching for your dreams.”

Darlene and KC

Jeremy Reynalds and KC (Front)  Roseann Vona Page and Darlene Cozart (Back)

Of course, Darlene’s story wouldn’t be complete without telling the story of her husband KC Cozart of Newgrass Review, who she met in Nashville.

Let me explain how we met Darlene and KC. In the 21 years that Joy Junction Homeless Shelter has been in existence, we’d never had a Nashville artist perform for our guests–until a few weeks ago.

The event originated when Greg Cozart, also known as KC, now living in Albuquerque, e-mailed our office wanting to help. A couple of days later along with my best friend and Joy Junction Chief Administrative Officer Roseann, we met with KC and his wife Darlene and over the course of a long but enjoyable lunch got to know this wonderful couple a little bit.

KC is part of the highly acclaimed and award winning group “Newgrass Review,” a Nashville based Newgrass /Country / Gospel group. Although many people haven’t heard of the name “Newgrass Review,” in the country music, bluegrass and gospel circuit, the band has been well known for many years.

I wanted to learn more about this unique man, who along with his wife, was willing to take the time to give a full-length concert to homeless families.

Growing Up

KC, 44, told me that he was born in the rural mountainous region of Southern West Virginia. His unwed mother was unable to properly care for him. As a result, KC told me, he suffered from malnutrition and other ailments

Friends of the family, a coal miner and his wife, were told about KC and as a result they decided to adopt him.

Over the next few years with a lot of help from his adopted parents and their children, KC said he was well taken care of and learned to appreciate the small things in life.

However, the family had very little money, as coal miners at that time were poorly paid and his adopted father also drank heavily, further decreasing the already scarce family funds. However, KC said, his father subsequently quit drinking and lived alcohol free until his death in Aug. 1984 “from cancer and black lung among other ailments, caused by the dark and dreary coal mines of that era.”

KC had an eventful childhood. He said he learned how to trap, hunt and identify various forms of wildlife and made frequent trips into the mountains when he was only six. However, formal learning was a different matter.

“I also went to school which I totally detested, and tried (everything) imaginable to find ways to get out of going, and received beatings on a very regular basis,” he said. “I was definitely a handful, and the whippings were at times very well deserved.”

A Downward Turn

KC also attended church during his teen years, but it was at this time that his life began to take a downward turn and spiral out of control.

KC said, "When I first got saved I was 16 and it didn’t last long. I was hanging with the wrong crowd, and the booze, drugs, and sex were among the vices that had a serious hold on me. I went

for many years and was never satisfied in my soul. I always put on a front and held everything in. On the outside I was all smiles and happy, but on the inside I was dealing with my own demons."

KC said, "During that time I was heavy into drugs and alcohol, and every evil known to mankind. I committed crime after crime, and finally was arrested. I spent the next five years thinking and trying to straighten my life out."

However, KC said all the thinking he did while in prison didn’t help straighten out his life. Upon his release, he went right back to his old lifestyle, except he added music to the mix and became a professional musician in 1984.

"Of course, this did not help me with my alcohol and drug problems, readily available in the entertainment industry," KC said.

Subsequently KC was signed by a record label, which while tolerating his drinking still kept close tabs on him.

Darlene Enters the Picture

KC’s wild life continued but things were soon to change. One night after performing a concert in Nashville everyone had left except the bartender, KC’s chauffeur and KC, who was downing his after-show Scotch. A young lady entered and went straight over to KC’s table where she told him she wanted to sing.

KC said, "I told her the show was over, the band was gone and I was in no shape to perform. She told me she had (musical accompaniment) tracks, so being the soft-hearted person I was, I fired up the sound system to (my chauffeur’s) total unbelief. When this young lady sang I was enthralled by her voice. I gave her my personal number and told her to call me the next day and we would meet."

The next day KC met Darlene, her mother and daughter at a local restaurant and he found out that she was also a professional entertainer from Canada.

Good Things in Store for KC

KC said he later helped Darlene and her family get into an apartment. But at this time he didn’t realize what the Lord had in store for him.

He said, "I had been married three times and had no inclination of repeating my last mistakes, but we became friends and about four months later we were married. My wife Darlene and her mother had been going to church and talked me into going. Backslidden at the time I was nervous, and of course felt weird going. Later that month I rededicated my life."

KC and his new family attended church regularly for the next year. However, he again fell back into his dependency on alcohol and drugs. But God gave him a wake-up call when in Sept. 2005, "My body said ‘uncle,’ and I collapsed in the parking lot of a Harley Davidson store." However, KC said, this still did not open his eyes.

Difficulties and Blessings

More difficulties were still ahead for KC. He moved to New Mexico where he lost all of his possessions.

"I lost my studio, the house our car, even my most cherished instruments. Finally I got the hint. God turned my life around. It wasn’t easy (and we have been) through some of the worst trials and tribulations together."

But KC and Darlene are nonetheless in church every week. He said, "Things are still somewhat hard, but through faith and God’s amazing love and toleration of me, we have been truly blessed with new friends."

He added, "My career is back, but more so for God."

Talking about his concert at Joy Junction KC said, "I made a promise to God that if He would open the doors and make a way for us, we would go anywhere we were asked."

Although KC is officially disabled he still clings to his Heavenly Father and it’s that relationship with the Lord that gives him hope and a reason to go on.

He said, "The concerts are few and far between, but God somehow always provides. Constant prayer and faith keep me going day to day, (despite) my many medical problems."

A Final Word from Darlene

“If you read my ‘Holiday Treasure Stories,’ just know that each story came from God above in my dreams, and I pray they touch your hearts to achieve all that you can be.”

For more information or to buy “Holiday Treasure Stories,” go to www.xulonpress.com/book_detail.php?id=4655#

Jeremy Reynalds is a freelance writer and the founder and director of Joy Junction, New Mexico's largest emergency homeless shelter, http://www.joyjunction.org or http://www.christianity.com/joyjunction. He has a master's degree in communication from the University of New Mexico, and a Ph.D. in intercultural education from Biola University in Los Angeles. His newest book is "Homeless in the City: A Call to Service." Additional details about "Homeless" are available at http://www.HomelessBook.com He lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. For more information contact: Jeremy Reynalds at jeremyreynalds@comcast.net. Tel: (505) 877-6967 or (505) 400-7145. Note: A higher resolution JPEG picture of Jeremy Reynalds is available on request from Dan Wooding at danjuma1@aol.com.