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When Jesus spoke of this to the thief, he is referring to the same promise God gave to Abraham (Genesis 22:17-18) Not the kind of paradise that is found on earth but is found in heaven. His Words are hope for all of us sinners. Showing how merciful our God is in this specific event in the Bible is a reminder that despite our grievous sins, we only need to have a repentant heart to receive hope (believe the words of Jesus) and the promise of salvation. The good thief believed so he immediately received his reward. This is a picture of encouragement to all of us, a promise of Paradise.

It is God heart to bless and provide us with every provision. Sometimes our prayer may seem like it is not answered, that He did not hear us. However, we need to understand that God's timing and ours is different and He is always on time even though it may feel last minute (to us). In my opinion, God prefers to wait until the last minute to answer our prayers to bring about His will and His purpose for us.

Paglaom is a Bisaya (Filipino dialect) word which means Hope. “Paglaom Always” is an abstract illustration of a rainbow in dark hue. We remember the rainbow as a prominent symbol of hope in the Bible. “Paglaom Always” encourages us to hope at all times and cling to the Lord at all cost. God sometimes takes what is perfect and subjects us to a humble status so that a greater good might be accomplished. Take hope! This stage of suffering is merely a transitional period. Trust in His timing and His beautiful plans for you.

Ephesians 3:18 (ESV) “may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,” 以弗所書3:18 (現代標點和合本) “能以和眾聖徒一同明白基督的愛是何等長闊高深，”

The rainbow after the rain symbolises God’s covenant with man. This is the promise of God. God values our tears, hopes and joys, hence we can put our hope and trust in Him. The painting can be viewed from any direction, showing a journey of continuous discovery within the mind, spirit and soul.

I used oil pastel-coloured felt to make lilies to remind us to consider the lilies which are so beautifully clothed by God. God cares for the lilies which are here today and gone tomorrow, and His promise is that He will provide for us too. I also made white lilies of the valley on the right to remind us to consider the Lily of the Valley, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is holy and humble and came into the world to die on the cross to save sinners such as us so that we can have hope!

We may face many ‘storms' in our lives, but the Bible reminds us that there is hope. Just as Jesus was in control of the storm in Mark 4:35-41, God is in control of all our lives. The hands that calmed the storm are the very hands that lead us, guide us and protect us.

When Jesus ascended from the water, the heavens were opened unto Him—lo and behold, a voice from heaven declared that Jesus was the promised Saviour and the Spirit of God descended as a dove, alighting on Christ. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

The clocks symbolise the restoration of time. God is able to restore lost opportunities, finance, health and youth. He promises to restore lost time. By His hand, He is able to make the old become new again.

The woman with the issue of blood was desperate. Jesus was her only hope. In this painting, the woman in red is me as I have cancer. This bible story inspires me to place my hope in Jesus on my cancer journey. Our hope is built on God’s promises.