Magazine, Past Issue
The May/June 2026 issue is here - with your chance to vote for your favorite Your Turn entry!
Our Your Turn contest had a fantastic result, with more than a hundred entries. This issue we're featuring the six winners and 19 other contenders, and we're asking you to vote for your favorite. The winner of the "Fan Favorite award" will get $1,000, so be sure to click here to vote and let us know who it should be (deadline for voting is May 31).
You can read all the written entries by clicking on the magazine cover below, but for the audio and video entries you'll need to click here:
This month's highlights:
- Your Turn contest results: Check out the top 25 entries for the Your Turn contest.
- Vote for your favorite Your Turn contribution. Pick your favorite and let us know before May 31.
- The bestest picture books: Looking for great reads for your littles? We've got you covered, with a half dozen great recommendations!
- Your kids' favorite section: Come and Explore is all about camels this time.
Choose how you'd like to read:
- Flip through the Digital Edition for a classic magazine experience
- View the PDF directly in your browser
- Click here to download the PDF (7 mb) to read offline
INDEX: Your Turn contest winners and finalists / When the church stops singing / Why family businesses still matter (and why the church should care) / Interview with an artist: Sheila Van Delft paints refreshment for the soul / How to plan for your next chapter as a senior / That which bubbles up to the surface / No jail for man who admits to killing his partner / Alberta introduces law to restrict euthanasia / Basil Rathbone's Sherlock Holmes / The very bestest picture books / Health-adjusted life expectancy plummets / Man most responsible for global population collapse has died / Aussie senator shows us how to do it... and how not to do it / US VP thinks UFO accounts involve demons instead / When they went after Barry Neufeld / Perfect planet: It all had to just right for life on earth to survive and thrive / Come and explore: the camel / The limits of the "two-books" metaphor / Executive director update: hold us accountable to our non-negotiables / The next time you're grumpy / Updating a "classic" / On logic / Sola Opus Dei / What is the purpose of your home / Can God make a square circle? / Diversity / On patience / O Canada / Man vs. beast / Simply and truly... / 4 of a kind / The government can't run our lives
News
Federal spending increases under Carney
To make a diamond dazzle, a skilled jeweller will slip a black cloth under it.
The federal government pulled a similar tactic with its Spring Economic Update, setting the current state of the economy in the context of the ongoing instability in the world. In spite of trade disruptions with the USA, conflict in the Middle East, and fragile global supply chains, the government was keen to showcase that Canada’s economy grew by 1.7 percent in 2025 and is expected to have the second-fastest growth in the G7, next to the USA.
But a careful examination shows a less dazzling picture.
The deficit for 2025 is a staggering $66.9 billion, with no end to deficits in sight. The federal government is already $1.3 trillion in debt, and is on track to pile up $309 billion more in total debt by the end of this decade. Our cost to service all our debt is projected to increase from $54 billion this year, to $81 billion by 2030-31. History backs up the instruction from Proverbs 22:7 that “the borrower is a slave to the lender.” Just like family debt handcuffs a household from pursuing opportunities they might otherwise want to pursue, the same is true for countries. We severely limit what we can do when we have to pay billions, not even to pay off the debt, but just to pay the yearly interest. But the federal government emphasizes that we are doing better than most G7 countries.
After 9 consecutive budget deficits under Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister Carney promised:
“what we will do is to focus on reducing spending, if I’m elected…. The essence of this is to spend less, and invest more.”
When we hear our government wants to spend less to allow for more investment, we might conclude that means spending cuts will be accompanied by tax cuts to leave the private sector with more of their money. They can then invest those newly available funds in their businesses.
But that’s not what Carney means by “spending less.” His plan is to have the government spend much more overall, but label some of it “investing.” Neat trick, but let’s not fall for it. His new Economic Update reveals a plan to increase spending by $83.2 billion more that the Trudeau government planned from 2025/26 through 2029/30.
Today's Devotional
May 8 - How can we see him?
“...whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” - 1 Peter 1:8-9
Scripture reading: Hebrews 11: 1-40
How can you love and believe in someone you do not see? In fact, Peter tells us that we have >
Today's Manna Podcast
Christ's forgiveness brings down the house
Serving #1201 of Manna, prepared by P. Holtvluwer, is called "Christ's forgiveness brings down the house".
