“ZAN (赞),” meaning “praise,” represents the intentional declaration of joy and worship even when things fall apart. In the artist’s second pregnancy, her dark experience through severe antepartum depression led her to appreciate why praise is described as a “sacrifice” (Hebrews 13:15). By choosing to lean into her hardships, Tam applied the same principles of embracing pain in labor to deliver her second child, named “乐” (Joy), in a beautiful home birth. Similarly, would you allow your praise to usher in fruitfulness, too? 

The double characters “先先” above, meaning “first,” remind us of the double portion of praise we can give God first no matter what comes our way. The harmonizing balance in this character’s brushstrokes reflect the stability that praise brings to our lives.

“Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.” (Hebrews 13:15)