Blog #faith over fear

Thomas Carchidi

Retired Police Officer, Author, 9/11-Related Stage Four Cancer Survivor, Pitbull Advocate & Dad, and Martial Artist & Black Belt 

These are Thomas's favorite scriptures...

Could you share the moment or experience that inspired you to write your book, A Life in Law Enforcement, and tell your story?

I realized shortly into my law enforcement career that working in places like Baltimore City as a police officer was an eye-opening experience. Approximately, I did some research; only about 0.2% of Americans, U.S. citizens, can work in a sworn law enforcement capacity in their lifetime compared to the population, and even less than that work in dangerous, violent, and deadly areas of Baltimore and New York in the 70s and 80s, with crack and AIDS, parts of Chicago, Detroit, and certain areas of LA. I truly wanted people to understand the reality of how things work, cutting through the superficiality often portrayed in media like television and Hollywood, and to grasp the day-to-day operations and share stories of what I experienced. Everybody who works in a sworn law enforcement capacity, whether they work a week, a year, or 40 years on the job, has their own unique experiences that they take from it, and I don’t think anybody gets out unscathed.

Having witnessed both integrity and corruption in policing, how has that shaped your understanding of justice, mercy, and the role of faith in leadership?

I learned early on that wearing a badge, or saying you’re a politician, being a law enforcement officer, or being a politician working for the government doesn’t mean much, to be honest with you. When I was growing up, I always thought it was black-and-white. I thought the government and police were the good guys, and the criminals were the bad guys. Now I realize things were a lot different. There was a lot of gray area and overlap in the government and law enforcement systems. I saw that people with power in the government and police are human, just like you and me, and that means the police make mistakes. They use good and bad judgment and commit crimes like the rest of us. We’re all flawed because we’re all human beings, and no one’s perfect—there’s only one perfect ‌being, and that’s God. I know I’m not. I don’t judge people when they come to me and say, “I’m a lawyer,” “I’m a doctor,” “I’m a police officer,” or “I’m a politician.” That means nothing to me. I have to get to know the person. I don’t care if you’re a plumber, a garbage man, or a civil servant. There’s good and bad in everything, and I try to get to know the person. Until I know the person, I don’t care what you do—it doesn’t matter to me. Because you do something for a living doesn’t mean you’re a good person or a bad person. Yeah, correct. There’s good and bad in everything. And I’ve realized that. Yeah, it takes a while to get to know people.

You survived an unimaginable battle with stage four cancer connected to 911. What did God teach you in that season that still shapes the way you live today?

So we never know where cancer comes from, right? Is it biological or genetic? Is it environmental? You know, there’s a ton of cancer on Long Island. You never really know where you get cancer from. I believe 911 happened on a Tuesday, and I volunteered on Thursday and Friday as I was in between law enforcement jobs. I just felt the need to help. It was a crazy and surreal experience, and I can’t even say you’re going to see it once in your lifetime; I think things like that very few people see, like 911—you think of things like Pearl Harbor; you think of national disasters on that level. It was such a big event; what took place was horrible, devastating, and nightmarish.

I constantly ponder life's meaning and purpose. There are so many things I don’t understand about my life‌. All I know is that without God, we have nothing; I have nothing. I want and need to believe in a higher power. You know, I love believing that when our time on earth is up, when we’re done, essentially, there will be a higher power; we’re going to meet our maker. God will wait for us. And that’s where it gets a little hazy for many people. I believe in that. I believe in Christianity.

I believe in good and bad, so to speak. I believe in the afterlife. But I also believe that Jesus will not come back the second time as the sacrificial lamb. If you read Revelation, it’s a very scary story,‌ but there’s hope at the end. I make so many mistakes in life, but I always try to learn from them and never make the same mistake again. I think that’s why I’ve gotten where I’ve gotten in life, because I never quit. One day, I believe with all my heart, we will meet our maker and face judgment. And if we mess up, most of us are going to get the boot and are going to go somewhere we don’t want to go. My longing is for salvation and to be with God eternally. I desire peace for my mind and body. My desire is for all that heaven holds, and God gives.

One thing I’ve learned throughout this entire process I’ve been through, you know, the cancer battle, which was a nightmare I can’t even describe, two years of torture, is never give up. Always keep pushing through; keep grinding. Once we're gone, that's it; and that’s it—I want to be judged in a good light. I want to be favored in God’s eyes. I don’t want to live in eternal damnation—you think Earth is bad.

I try to live the way God would want me to live. This is how I live my life. I was so super sick with stage four cancer for almost two years. Thank God I’m in full remission. I'm back to training in martial arts, and my strength and size have returned. I’m in the gym again, but I know I’ll never be quite the same. Currently fifty years old, I'm not in my twenties or thirties and am dealing with multiple health concerns. During my last cancer treatment, I received CAR T-cell therapy—a newer type of treatment. It involved using an exceptionally large needle, almost like a super-sized gauge. I have a high pain tolerance. I don’t care about stuff like that. They stick it in, and they take your T-cells. They take your blood, and they extract your T-cells, and they manufacture a fighting agent, a cure for the lymphoma cancer, for the disease you have, and there’s a super high percentage to cure certain blood cancers now, like lymphoma and leukemia. But it’s all worth it. It’s a minimum 23-day process, and I was in the hospital for 23 days, sick as a dog.

One thing this treatment does is ‌literally erase your cognition. For two days, I didn’t know where I was or who I was. I couldn’t make a sentence. It’s crazy because I’m back in law school now. You know, thank God I just finished up my third year. At one point, I was really, really messed up. And so I go for this T-cell therapy. I lost about 30 pounds. I was in the hospital for like 13 days, or 14 days. Then, in a hospital setting, almost like a little rehab center. I felt as though I was losing my mind with anxiety, depression, and anger. It was a nightmare mentally, physically, and emotionally. And then I lost like 30 pounds. I finally get out on the 23rd day. They tested me, and I’m cancer-free. Thank God. We had a little celebration at the hospital, and they’re like, “It’s time to go home,” so they cut the catheter out of me, and I’m weak. I lost 25 or 30 pounds. They let me go. It was Wednesday afternoon, around 3:30, and by 7:30 pm, I was in Jiu Jitsu training. That’s how I live my life. I don’t stop, give up, or make excuses.

You know, life involves many challenges, and believe me, I have faced many of them, but you must not just give up and fade away. And that’s how I live my life. I don’t regret many things. I have an amazing family. My mom—my parents are the best, my extended family, cousins, aunts, uncles, and my grandparents when they were around. I graduated from college and have a master’s degree. Recently, I concluded my third year of law studies. I’ve practiced martial arts my whole life and have authored a book. Some people don’t have food; they may live on the street, and I’m grateful to have a beautiful house on Long Island. You know, some people are living on the street, and I’m blessed, and I can’t complain about my life. I’m retired from the police department and have a pension; I have benefits. So yeah, did I go through a lot? Yes, but I’m blessed in so many ways, and I got to thank God for that.

How did you become a pit bull rescue advocate and a dad?

I love pit bulls and have three of them. When I moved to Maryland after college and graduate school, living in Baltimore County and working in Baltimore City, there were pit bulls all over the place. I guess that’s a beloved dog in the city. I never really had much experience with them in Long Island, and I got to know them and spend time with them through friends. And a girlfriend of mine 25 years ago had a pit bull, and it was the most affectionate and amazing dog, and I was hooked and became an advocate by rescuing them and helping them out. And now I have three pit bull mixes at home: two females and a male. I’ve been rescuing them for 25 years. I have Nala, who’s three; Kimora, who’s nine; and Rugby, who’s 10. Two of them I actually rescued off the street. They were running around the streets as puppies. Well, Rugby was a little older. Rugby was about a year old when I found him, but they were running around the street, both of them, in Coney Island, Brooklyn, when I was working for the Seagate Police Department, and I just fell in love with them. I was going to bring them to the shelter because I already had dogs, but I knew what would happen to them—they would put them down and not get adopted, so I took them home. 

You’re a lifelong martial artist and a black belt. How did that discipline, mentally and spiritually, prepare you for the hardest moments in your life?

I am. I don’t know where it came from because my mom and dad came off the boat from Italy, and Italians really aren’t into martial arts. But ever since I was a kid, around eight years old, I’d been obsessed with Kung Fu Theater on Fox Five Saturday afternoons, all the martial arts movies, Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, and the rest of these people—I just loved every second. I’ve trained all my life pretty much, but I got really serious about it around 17 or 18. I’m an American combat karate black belt, then Tai-Zen American combat karate, and into Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. So I’m a black belt in American combat karate and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. I’ve always loved it. And to tell you the truth, martial arts are beneficial in so many ways that we could just talk for days about martial arts, but they definitely keep your mind sharpened because it’s like mathematics for the mind and body, like Jiu Jitsu—they call it the smart man’s martial art. Like, it’s super technical and hard. You’ve got to string movements and techniques together. A lot of people stay away from Jiu Jitsu because it is very difficult, but once you get it, I think it’s the most beautiful martial art, the most devastating single martial art. If somebody told me I had only one choice, to train in kickboxing, regular boxing, wrestling, and Jiu Jitsu, I would train in Jiu Jitsu because it’s like cross-training everything. I think it’s just such an amazing art, and it’s so street applicable for self-defense and sport in martial arts competitions. Martial arts strengthen you mentally and physically. It’s like a microcosm of life. I believe that martial arts are really a coping mechanism for life and a microcosm of what you see out in everyday life.

Thomas, you overcame many traumas, corruption, cancer, and hardship. What message of hope do you want people to walk away with after hearing your testimony tonight?

Never give up–Never let anyone keep you down–Never let someone tell you that you can’t do something. There are a lot of haters out there. Many people are jealous. There’s a lot of nepotism and corruption. If I had given up because of problems along the way, I would never have become a law enforcement officer and received 30 awards in law enforcement for saving people. I would have never fulfilled that dream. If you listen to people and allow them to, so to speak, keep their foot on your neck, you will not fulfill your dreams. So I just say, don’t worry about what people say or what people do. Do what you feel is right and what God would want you to do, what your family would want you to do; you know, the people you trust, and just keep moving forward. When your time is up, God will be in front of us, and he’ll judge us, but while you’re here, never give up or settle for mediocrity. As long as you give whatever you’re doing a hundred percent, your best, that’s all anyone can ask of you. And that’s all God wants—do your best with what He has given to you. It’s important to remain humble and always remember that we’re here because of God, and we’re nothing without Him, and we are to love Him with all our hearts, souls, and minds, and love others. Matthew 12:30-31. Love God, follow Him, and trust Him even if things get crazy here. There’s going to be an afterlife—honor Him in all you do. 

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Dawnita Fogleman

Award-Winning Journalist, Homestead and Preparedness Coach, Published Author, and Founder & Creator of Prairie Dust Trail

These are Dawnita's favorite scriptures...

Dawnita, you grew up in a house that practiced New Age and were actually raised to become a Native American medicine woman. How did that all come about? 

I have Native American on both sides of my family. Unfortunately, I did not inherit the lovely extra melanin. I’ve got very little, so I’m white as paper, but I was a teen pregnancy, and my mother left when I was around 18 months old. She was a hippie, and she went and hitchhiked across the country. It was a typical hippie thing. My dad was in the Navy. After that, he went back home to the farm and ranch, where he was a cowboy. He remarried when I was four. Nobody really attended church in my family. One of my great-grandmothers attended church, and that was about it. My stepmother would read the Bible, but my grandmother, with whom I lived a lot, took me to her medium. And then when I was about five or six years old, I was allowed to go to a vacation Bible school. We had a little country church on a hill out here in the middle of nowhere. It’s a good 30 minutes from any town. I was about five or six years old when I asked Jesus into my heart because I didn’t think I was going to survive to grow up.

How come you felt that you wouldn't survive to grow up?  

Because my father was abusing me in every way, but I didn’t know any different, because that was just life for me. Still, I really didn’t know if I would survive to grow up, so I wanted Jesus to help me be a good person while I was here, and I wanted to know that I was going to be with Him whenever I passed away. 

So anyway, when I was eight years old, I met my mother. And when I was ten, I moved in with her. She was a drug user, and she taught me tarot cards and other New Age things in addition to what my grandmother taught me. And I would have manifestations of evil spirits and the familiar spirits. 

I married a preacher’s son, and after we married, I realized the houses we lived in were haunted, so I needed deliverance. After we had our second child, an opportunity came up in the church we were attending to go to a ladies’ retreat. And up to that point, whenever people would come to visit our house, they would hear and see things. So it wasn’t just me who was noticing weird things going on. It would sound like bells tinkling, or things scurrying, or children playing, and you could even hear them on the nursery monitor. Thus, it was a physical thing that was audible. I was encouraged by the church ladies to join their retreat. When I asked my husband, he initially thought it was pricey, but the following day, he arrived home with a check covering the retreat’s cost. And he said, “I guess the Lord wants you to go.” And so I went. And it was a holy roller retreat, which, I love my full gospel friends, but I am so not. I had one preacher’s wife who said it’s kind of like the difference in flavors of ice cream. Some of us are chocolate, some of us are vanilla. And she said, “And I’m Rocky Road.” I decided that I’m chocolate almond; I’m a little nutty. While at the retreat, they didn’t do deliverance, but they did several things that were like object lessons. And one of them was that they gave us all little wooden crosses and nails, and we would talk about things and burdens that we needed to give to the Lord. We were encouraged to talk about what that burden was and then nail it on the cross. And there were several little things like that, and just being able to speak openly with other women about things that I had gone through that I had never been able to talk about before. My husband would tell you to this day that when I came home from the retreat, there was a considerable change.

I can’t tell you much about the conference itself, but I know the Lord worked on me, and that’s what we need to remember. Paul’s dad was a preacher and an evangelist, and he always would say, “God’s Word doesn’t return to Him void,” so it doesn’t matter who’s preaching God’s Word or who’s sharing God’s Word and where people are in their walk, but if they’re sharing it, then His Word can still touch, and it’s still powerful. After the retreat, I prayed for a spiritual mentor, because I wasn’t raised in the church and didn’t know a whole lot, but I wanted to raise our family in the Lord's ways. So I prayed for a mentor, and He sent me a holy roller homeschool mom who was very confident and got out there and got things done. She challenged me in so many ways. And she saw my crystal ball and my tarot cards that I still had, and she said, “Why do you still have these things in your house? I told her, “Well, they’re keepsakes.” And she said, “Well, are those really why you have them? Or is that what the spirits are trying to tell you?” And then she left. She didn’t push the issue or be judgmental or anything; she just asked a question to challenge me lovingly. And you know what? The second she walked out that door and went out of the driveway, I threw them all away. I got rid of it because I didn’t want to take a chance. I not only threw those away, but I also went through the house and got rid of anything mystical or magical that I had. I got rid of them, even the Disney princess movie with magic in it. The whole kit and caboodle—I just cleaned house and got rid of anything mystical, magical, or anything that could be in the least bit, and started focusing on God’s Word. This was huge and exactly what we needed to get grounded in my faith and solid in His Word, and once I did this, He started bringing things back into my life and showing me His creation and what He made, like the constellations, and then I wrote a book about the constellations and prophecy. I did it as a homeschool project for our family because I wanted to look into this. And I did coloring pages to go with it, and because so many of the pictures of the constellations are not modest, I made a coloring book so that we could have modest constellation images. So I did this with my children, and it’s based on a book written in the 1800s, giving the prophecy that’s in the stars—and God put the complete story of Jesus in the constellations for us. And it’s fascinating. I did this scrapbook project with my children for homeschooling and other moms. They encouraged me to put it in a curriculum for them because they wanted to do this with their children. The stars are being redeemed for their original purpose, biblically. It was because of the stars that everybody knew, or had the chance to know, that Jesus was coming, because all they had to do was look at the stars. It’s amazing! And then, the Lord started bringing me more, and on my YouTube channel, I wear this fabulous tinfoil hat.

Yes. Can you explain why you wear a tinfoil hat? 

Christians, who were raised in the church, have an attitude about some things, and they think, “Oh, this is New Age. We can’t touch that because it’s New Age. God created the heavens and the earth. He created crystals, herbs, and essential oils. And in the Bible, God explains to us ways to use some of these things. So you have Christians who will be afraid of crystals. In scripture, people used crystals and gemstones primarily for adornment and ritual purposes, most notably in the High Priest Aaron’s God-designed breastplate, which bore twelve gems representing the twelve tribes of Israel. And yet, we have Christians doing yoga in their churches, which is actually preparation for death. So my New Age background gives me a background that people who have been raised in the church don’t have, and it gives me a perception of some of the ancient things, along with an understanding of some of the cultural stuff in the Bible that other people may not understand. And I’m able to pull those together. So through Prairie Dust Trail, we’re able to explore historical topics and talk about Bigfoot, UFOs, and other topics on my channel. I talk to other believers about these things and how they fit into the Bible, what they really are, and how we stand against the evils that are in this world and protect our family and teach our family about these things so that they can have discernment.

A lot of people counterfeit what Christ has done, right? 

Right. That’s what the devil does. He camouflages things. A good example is the sage that witches will burn and have the smoke of sage around their house, but people don’t realize that hyssop in the Bible and sage are basically very closely related plants. The witches, pagans, and those in the New Age take things from the Bible because that’s the original source, and they take those things and twist them and do other things with them, so it’s not the sage that’s bad. It’s how they’re doing it. Hyssop was used for cleansing in the Bible. So if you go back to the Bible and see how it was used, you can realize that it’s okay to use hyssop, but we’re going to do it differently than the way the witches do it, with sage. There are a lot of fun things to think about, and God created the heavens and the earth with frequency. He spoke everything into existence.

You teach people things like preparedness and homesteading, but you also provide something equally important—a community. A place where people don’t feel isolated and can safely share the things they’re noticing in the world that just don’t make sense.

Right. And it’s this kind of uncertainty that often makes people fearful about the future. But the Bible repeatedly tells us to be prepared. Proverbs 31 is a perfect example: the virtuous woman wasn’t afraid of the winter because she had her household ready. Many passages show that if we are prepared—spiritually with God in our hearts and physically in our lives—we’re far less likely to panic. We live in a broken world. Catastrophes, both big and small, will happen, and traumatic experiences are inevitable. But panic comes from fear of the unknown—and God has not given us a spirit of fear. When we look at the strange, confusing events in the world through a biblical lens, we can prepare for the worst while still hoping for the best. I don’t teach self-sufficiency because I don’t believe in it. I believe in God-sufficiency. He is enough. Wherever He places us, it is sufficient. We are called to be Him-reliant, not self-reliant.

I also teach the importance of rest. Many churches today teach that the Old Testament doesn’t matter or that Jesus did away with the law—but He didn’t. He came to fulfill it—something as simple as Sabbath was designed for our benefit: our rest. Yet so many people are constantly overwhelmed and stressed because they’ve forgotten how to pause. I tell people, “I don’t care what day you take it—just take that one day of rest.” When you do, your life begins to change. We were never meant to work 24/7. Jeremiah 6:16 talks about “the ancient paths,” and then laments, “But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’” It’s sad because God told us to follow His ways, but we often ignore them. Rest isn’t just a break—it’s a way to refill our cups. We don’t fill the cup ourselves; God does. And when our cup overflows, that blessing naturally spreads to others. Too often, especially as women, we try to pour from empty cups. But God designed it so that first He fills us, and then we overflow into the lives of others.

Watch how being prepared saved Dawnita's children's lives during a catastrophic Oklahoma wildfire.  

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