Posts by Vicki Newman

Chief and I have a wonderful friend named Karen we’ve come to know and love who stayed with us last night. She is one of the world’s most effective therapists for cops with Post Traumatic Stress (Disorder/Injury), as she’s cured cops from Northern Ireland, Israel, Kosovo, and the United States. In fact, her guys in…

I am the product of many women who have spoken into my life. Those who have extended their love and care in different seasons and different years. Jackie taught me that writing is a beautiful expression of soul and spirit. Mama Josie showed me at a very young age that no matter the shades of…

There is a lot of negativity in this law enforcement life. Our officers deal every shift with people who’ve experienced something traumatic; whether it be an accident, a crime, a death, or were arrested because they smoked too much, swallowed too much, or shot up their arms or others. Evil is a thing. And our…

How2LoveOurCops is now in our second year as a nonprofit, and wow, have we been busy! Right now we’re gearing up for our annual fundraising event with its new name: Hearts for Blue Gala. This night brings community and public servants together to celebrate our cops and their families. We seek to create awareness of…

Since this time last year (May 2012), I’ve been working on a book called Selfish Prayer. I am the ghostwriter, which means that I write another person’s story. That someone else is a member of the California National Guard, and served in Afghanistan in 2009 as a Medevac flight medic. It’s been quite an education.…

Fifteen months ago I stood on the bank of a rushing river, hesitant to jump in. This was a metaphoric river in my mind—knowing that once I jumped in, it would be one wild ride. I would be at the mercy of the river, letting it carry me wherever it led. I gathered some courage…

Finding My Words Again I haven’t blogged since December. I’ve been scarce on Facebook for months. My calendar has had only a few speaking engagements. Sometimes life is so overwhelming there are no words. My life has been like that for the past year. I’ve struggled to find words of encouragement in this time of…

It was dark when I went out to fetch the mail last night. I thumbed through the mail as I walked, straining to see by the dimly lit houses. One envelope caught my eye. It was a small card, made out to my author name, no return address. The postmark was from St. Louis, Missouri.…

It happened five years ago today in a remote village in Afghanistan. An ambush. A battle. Bad decisions. And 11 Americans and many Afghan nationals were forced to hunker down and fight for survival in what is called simply by its village name: Ganjgal. That one word conjures up pain in the hearts of those…