I believe God will one day make all things new. He will fully bring his kingdom on earth as it is in heaven, he will put everything right, he will bring justice and restoration and glory and joy. But we’re not there yet. We’re in this strange “already but not yet” place, a place still speaking the language of lament. My brothers and sisters throughout the world speak it fluently, but I easily forget. It’s a language that’s not easy to listen to, one I want to silence and ignore.

It has been a busy few weeks. Apparently in the midst of the busyness, September showed up. Is it just me, or does it seem like this month came out of nowhere? Last I knew, I was brainstorming a thousand different summer recipes, and the hubs and I were researching the grill we were finally going to buy.

I grew up along the East Coast and I’ll admit, I really miss the ocean. Trips to the beach were a regular part of the summer routine while I was growing up. Sometimes, it was a quick weekend excursion down the shore, but other years it was a vacation in Florida or a road-trip north to the coast of Maine. And of course wherever we were, fresh seafood was a must.