JN Summary - Passed ALL His Exams!!!

JN wrote me an email saying that he had good news to tell me last week, and waiting eagerly for my weekly call to Singapore. I had not been able to call for 2 weeks since I was on business trip and vacation in New York.

I phoned him last Friday and he told me that he had passed ALL his Secondary 1 NT exams - English, Maths, Science and Chinese!!! He failed all his subjects during the mid-year, and that was the news I received, when he visited us in Copenhagen. I didn't have any high hopes, except that he would do his best. We will love him unconditionally.

Whenever we have some time between sight-seeing and resting, I have introduced him to Khan Academy (www.khanacademy.com) and he practised his Maths.

So what a pleasant surprise to hear that he had passed all his exams and came in second in English in his class. This has given him much more confidence, and I really congratulate him for his hard work. It also gave him the confidence that he could reign in his ADHD as he grows older, and perhaps this is a sign that the ADHD is diminishing.

He will be joing half of his class to switch to Normal Academic Maths from the current Normal Technical Maths.

I asked him what made the difference, and he told me it is a mixture of having good teachers, tutors and his own efforts (and I believe that Khan Academy helped too). My gratefulness to his teacher Mr. Tan and his Maths relief teacher for their hard work in providing remedial classes after school. These are the things I truly appreciate about Singapore - having teachers who care. (Mr. Tan also offers tuition and classes for those who came out of prisons in Singapore, providing them a second chance to take their GCE "O" levels exams.)

I told JN that it was really well done that he did well for his exams, but that his self-esteem should also not depend on academic work, otherwise, his life will be a yoyo, going up and down according to his grades. God loves him (full-stop). And I also took the time to teach that one should not neglect character development. Character development is the most important, above everything else. JN listened in.

Talking about character development, this is also one of the reasons I am going part-time. I am so lacking in it. I am reading the "7 Habits of Highly Effective People" and really trying to form good habits, with God's help. I realize that I could not do things with my own strength - the spirit is willing, but the flesh is soooooo weak! At times, I feel discouraged, but I have to pick myself up and try again. At times, I feel I am such a lousy mother, but I have to forgive myself and try again.

I wish I could do more for JN from afar... but God is faithful. In moments of my discouragement, God showed me that He is in control. He has helped JN to do well for his exams - which was really a miracle, considering how badly he performed during his mid-year exams.

This is a thanks-giving to God. How unworthy I am (I tend to look at black spots and get discouraged), yet how kind and compassionate He is. He enables JN to have self-motivation even as JN battles against ADHD. He enables J to have self-motivation for practising the piano and practising penmanship. He enabled J to be super patient with us, as we did a whole day of shopping at Woodberry in New York. Most of all, God has seen my father through a successful heart operation and even kept his kidney functioning (doctor said there was a high chance that after the op, kidney dialysis would be required), but this did not have to take place. All the miracles, how I thank and praise our God.

Life is never fair, and full of ups and downs, but in the midst of pains, discouragements and struggles, God gave so many many blessings along the way to cheer me up. I don't deserve it, and I am truly truly thankful.

God helps me to stay faithful in my weekly phone call to JN. No matter no insignificant my efforts are, any fruits are in God's hand. I just need to be faithful.

To create conversation topics, I sent JN the book "7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens" to spur him on character development. I have been trying to practise the "7 Habits of Highly Effective People" and "7 Habits of Highly Effective Marriage" after attending a workshop sent by our boss from my workplace. Not one who is eloquent and good in talking and counselling, I can only rely on God and His mercy and loving-kindness and pray that God will help me in the months ahead. Here is the book:

I have also bought this book for myself, and going part-time will allow me to read more books. I have so much to learn, and even more that I need to learn to do into practise - practise, practise, practise: