What to do and how to react when the unexpected hits you out of nowhere.  A quick overview of what to expect on the new road ahead of you and how to get through it.  The three stages of SHOCK, PROCESSING and CONSOLIDATION that just have to be got through.  Understanding what is going on inside you is half the battle, and knowing you can come through it with some help will give you hope at each stage.  For more resources on this subject, I recommend Dr Kate Middleton of Mind and Soul Foundation

Three types of running from my life and what they can teach us.   Summed up in a single African proverb.

Many people around the world now own dogs.  Some say they are "man's best friend".  One thing is for sure, there is always something we can learn from them.  This episode of Stop490 brings fresh wisdom from Jake the desert bone dog who lives a full life in Bend, Oregon, USA.

His spokesperson, Jim, shares a few tips on life he has picked up from Jake.  Jim is a wise man and also blogs daily.  You can catch his blog called "Grace Notes" at https://www.resourceministries.org/devotionals/grace-notes/

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Last week I was reeling from the sudden death of a friend.  This week I remain shocked, but am also stirred up by another person I love being diagnosed with terminal cancer.  Death rocks our world.  This is the first in a short series that will grapple with how we can best make sense of it for ourselves and others.  Death is the new sex - almost a taboo in many societies.  If this podcast upsets you or stirs you up, do get in contact, speak to someone or read "On Death" a short book by Tim Keller.  Yes, there are still a couple of lame jokes.

This week I couldn't face popping out another podcast.  Last week's edition bombed, the war in Ukraine depresses me and someone I love just dropped dead.  What to do?  Record something I like, that makes me laugh.  Why?  Because laughter is medicine my friends.  As Proverbs 17 verse 22 says,  "A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones".  May this be good medicine for you folks.  Have a good week.

Sugar has been linked to obesity.  Why?  How does it manage to be so widely availabe and cause so much damage to health? As human beings we are wired up to crave sugar on the assumption that we will never be able to eat it that often.  In modern times, of course, that has all changed and what was once a useful aid to our survival now threatens to handicap our efforts to lead healthy lives.

But all is not lost!  5 top tips for beating it plus a joke you may not have heard before...

Around the world as incomes have increased so has our appetite for processed food.  Amongst these "new foods" the craving for ultra-processed food or UPF tops the bestseller charts.  Alas, it comes with a big  WARNING attached to it as many studies are now showing.  This short podcast gives you a simple tool for spotting ultra-processed food so you don't fall prey to the many adverse health effects that might befall you if you over indulge in these items.  And, as per the usual recipe folks, a dad joke makes it into the mix...

As the world convulses with war, it seems a good time to reflect on how to maintain good relationships with people around us.  We all make mistakes but we don't all make amends for them as well as we might do.  Human beings are complex, varied and flawed.  This short podcast shares some insights into why it is appropriate to apologise sometimes, when it is not right and how to ensure it is a good first step to keeping in good relationship with others around you.  Not rocket science, but practical nonetheless.

Easily lost and sometimes tough to hold onto and develop.  This short podcast gives you one thing you definitey can do every day to buid it back up.  No mumbo jumbo, just hard won wisdom you can apply NOW.

Suggested by my coffee wagon guru, Helen, as being a topic very regularly shared with her by customers.  Some excellent thoughts, borrowed from Nick Wignall, only a smidgeon of humour as you might expect with this topic, and a suggestion for further study.