Helping Hands Blog

T hey were big and strong and looked so cool riding on the back of that strange looking truck. Like superheroes, they’d jump off and land with their feet running before the truck would stop. Then, they’d grab a big metal trash can filled with who-knows-what and fling the contents into the back of the truck as if it were light as a feather. Sometimes they’d grab a big heavy plastic black bag and toss it from 50 feet away (or maybe it was just five feet) into the back of the tr

T he first new thing I get to celebrate is my 24th great-grandchild. Our new baby Thompson (from Ed’s line) is scheduled to arrive in the middle of this month and we can’t wait to meet Chase. New baby girl Madalyn Thompson (great-grandchild #23 ) arrived this past November and lives in Switzerland. What an amazing family God has given me all because I married Les with his 3 boys and then we added one more boy to round us off. Third Son Gregg and his wife, Beverly, have a new

E ach school year, my wife has to get her picture taken for the yearbook along with all the children . Teachers and administrators get a special photo postcard with the word “ Welcome ” splashed across it in big letters. I think she looks great in all of her postcards, but of course, she usually doesn’t like how her photo turned out. That means I have a nice collection of “ Welcome ” postcards. One of my favorites is propped up on my desk. I sit down in my chair, turn on the

S o begins the song I used to sing with my dad called, “God Spoke.” The song continues to talk about how David did listen “and he slew Goliath with a tiny stone.” It then moves on to talk about how Joshua also listened and saw the walls of Jericho fall down “because he listened to the Lord." It’s a fun little song that gets stuck in your head. While it was made for children, the simple truth of “how we’d all be better off ” is profound. The chorus goes like this: “God spoke t

I had watched dozens and dozens of Charlie Kirk’s videos long before he was killed. I have watched dozens and dozens more since he was...

O ur Thompson family is working on a long overdue family reunion. We are mom, four sons and wives, 14 grandchildren (12 married) and...

I was awed by all I saw and experienced in my first trip to Italy in July. I didn’t think the magnificent Duomo in Milan could be topped...

M any of us have the phrase from Psalm 139:14, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made” in a picture frame hanging on our wall.  It’s...

M y dad loved Cuban coffee (affectionately known as cafecito). Dad thought the best time to have a cafecito was at breakfast,...

I recently attended a rather non-traditional wedding where the family tree, as they say, had extra branches. Both the bride and groom...

“Grok” is a relatively new artificial intelligence app I’ve been trying out. This “A.I.” technology is pretty impressive and Grok seems...

Not long ago, my wife and I took a scenic drive up the heart of Northern California on our way to visit her older brother in Oregon. The...

I first heard this simple “Jesus Is My Friend” song on Instagram by the Millennial Children’s Choir. I was captivated by the children...

I have been writing a family update for many years now. It started when I married widowed Les – and his three boys, Ken, Dan and Gregg –...

Christmas is such a good time to ponder the wonder of God’s love and grace.

Mom and Dad loved each other, I got along well with my older brothers, we could go outside and play all day long and just had to be home...

What a privilege to help these incredibly talented and capable pastors and leaders — not to build air-conditioned buildings or buses — but t

If you ever visit, sitting on a shelf in our guest bathroom is a fun book titled When I Was Your Age . Each chapter is just a few...

“God sees everything you do,” said the little plaque hanging over my father’s bed growing up in Cuba.

“What day is it?” asked Pooh. “It’s today,” squeaked Piglet. “My favorite day,” said Pooh. “Even if you are on the right track, you’ll...