Happy New Year! Cooking Healthy, LGBTQ Headlines, and Hope for 2026 Happy New Year! On the first show of the year, we’re starting exactly where so many of us want to be: healthier, grounded, and informed. I’ll show you how to make an easy, delicious lentil pasta dish that’s packed with protein, full of flavor, and simple enough for anyone to cook—perfect for easing into better habits without guilt or extremes. Then Scott Jacobson joins me for This Gay Week, breaking down the LGBTQ stories that are already shaping the start of the new year—from politics to culture to what our community should be watching closely right now. And of course, we’ll take a moment to reflect on what we hope this new year can bring: more health, more honesty, more joy, and more room to just breathe. 📌 The Karel Cast is supported by viewer donations at patreon.com/reallykarel 👍 Please watch, like, and subscribe at youtube.com/reallykarel 🎧 Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartMedia, Spreaker, and more. 📺 Live Monday–Thursday at 10:30am PT, with clips on TikTok and Instagram. Karel is a history-making broadcaster and entertainer, reporting from Las Vegas with his service dog Ember. #HappyNewYear, #NewYearShow, #HealthyCooking, #LentilPasta, #PlantBasedEating, #EasyRecipes, #HealthyHabits, #LGBTQNews, #ThisGayWeek, #QueerVoices, #ProgressiveMedia, #NewsPodcast, #KarelCast, #PodcastClips, #LasVegas, #NewYearReflection, #WellnessJourney, #FoodAndTalk, #LGBTQCommunity, #EmberTheServiceDog https://youtube.com/live/Q1JtTF6GUh4

For many Haitian families, soup joumou is far more than a meal—it is a ritual that marks the beginning of the year with remembrance, pride, and connection.

A single line from a film stopped me in my tracks: “Aim at nothing, and you hit nothing.” Not because it was profound — but because I finally understood what it wasn’t talking about. This reflection explores why aiming inward matters more than New Year goals.

A reflection on relationships, family, and social conditioning—how expectations shape connection and why relational pain often isn’t about others.

A reflection on identity and psychological narratives—how self-stories form, why they create tension, and what shifts when identity is seen clearly.

✨ As we welcome 2025, let’s take a moment to reflect on what we choose to fill our cups with. Are you prioritizing joy, resilience, and gratitude? 🌟 This New Year, commit to cultivating posit…

The beginning of the year is prime time for thoughtful people to engage in introspection, prayer, and meditation — seeking clarity for the journey ahead. For people of faith, that reflection often takes the form of fasting, whether undertaken individually or as a community. For Christians, one of the most commonly observed fasts is drawn […]