Family and Friends,

We’ve updated only once over the last three months because we’ve been treading water during a logistically difficult period. The primary cause, however, is a blessing, and I’d like to share it with you.

My company was acquired in mid-October

After 9+ months of exploration, relationship-building, and due diligence steps with many parties, the software company I co-founded that powers Charityvest was acquired in mid-October by a larger philanthropy technology company called Foundation Source.

At the end of last year, I was already praying about some significant strategic next steps for our company. Then, Emma’s diagnosis added another heavy layer that accelerated me and my team down the road of exploring acquisition.

There are mixed emotions that come with “handing over the keys” of what our team has built, but I’m very grateful for this outcome on at least a couple of levels. First, we believe our work to help people give purposefully is important, and we found a partner company that takes it as seriously as we do. Second, this move allows me and my team to be supported by an existing, talented leadership team with more resources. We can narrow our professional foci (no longer wear so many hats!), and recover some life capacity, at least on the margins.

Specific to me, once everything coming out of the acquisition is settled, I’ll be an employee of the company that acquired us. In other words, I won’t be a CEO anymore, and I hope to have more to offer my family.

I’m grateful for this outcome. It’s an answer to prayer.

Completing a four-month sprint: another thank you to our friends

In contrast to what I hope will result from my company's acquisition, my work these last four months—getting the acquisition done and facilitating the integration since—has been exceptionally demanding. The full nature of Emma's behavioral patterns and care needs are also becoming clearer to us.

As a result, our family likely hasn’t seen you unless you've been helping us in some way. To the many friends who have kept our kids, completed school pick-up for us, provided us meals, or helped otherwise navigate some weird circumstances, I want to communicate a fresh and hearty thank you. We’d be “up a creek without a paddle” without you.

After a sprint, the race calls for finding a pace—pray for our daily childcare plan

As we come off a hard, all-consuming sprint, I’m taking a fresh look at our life structures, commitments, and resources — aiming to find what our “pace” in the race of life should look like.

One of the most challenging aspects of Emma’s disease is that it’s progressive yet we have no clue how quickly it will develop. And behaviorally she already needs near-constant attention during her waking hours.

And despite her disease, we need to keep building good, true, and beautiful things in our lives. We can’t drop everything, but we need to be more sensitive than ever about overextension. It’s a familiar tension with a new intensity.

Specifically, we’re trying to be wise and discern what daily/weekly childcare should look like given Emma’s present and future care requirements, and from there, consider what our other family commitments might be. Pray for us as we figure out what our childcare plan should look like for us? All options are on the table right now.

Other updates

• Emma’s bi-weekly enzyme infusions have been moved to Thursdays; the next few dates are 12/5, 12/19, 1/2, and 1/16. These now take place at the brand new Arthur M. Blank Hospital branch of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

• We have 2 Meal Trains right now: one for dinner the night before infusions, and one for lunch on infusion day. Many of you have asked. 🙂 

• Emma and Annie will be dancing in the Clement Arts Christmas Showcase on Saturday, 12/14 at 5p! Tickets are available if you’d like to come. We don’t know how many recitals we will get with Emma, so we plan to make the most of the day.

Some recent picture highlights 📸

A reflection on “callings” and disappointments.

In this section, we share a snippet of the work God is doing in our own hearts in case it’s helpful to others. Recently, and related to this post, I’ve felt the rub of callings or dreams panning out differently than I imagined (my company, our family life, etc.). This is an excerpt from a recent reflection.

Sometimes it’s popular in Christian circles to speak about a “calling” as if it’s a holy and mystical plane of the spiritual life that’s hidden from our conscious view, and being a Christian involves a grand journey to tap into it. It’s implied doing so will unlock some deeper sense of purpose, enjoyment, and flourishing. This theme most frequently shows up around major career-defining decisions like college, jobs, or starting new ventures, but it can spill over into family, church, and ministry as well.

What happens when things don’t pan out as you hoped?

The Monday morning quarterback in our mind starts to race: Was I not faithful? Was I wrong?

The problem is this view of calling is still secretly tied to a hope for our own personal flourishing, not our love and exaltation of Christ.

A different view: true calling is to merely follow Christ and do what he says. “Calling” is dynamic and tied to Christ. It’s about more of him, not more of my agenda.

Tying calling/flourishing to specific dreams or plans in life (jobs, ventures, places…even ministries) and not Christ himself is a spiritual trap. We lose sight of him as we mistake the purpose of our Christian life to reach particular destinations as opposed to going with him.

Should we not dream and plan then? Oh yes, we should. We were created to, just as God dreams and plans. But they are tools given for finding Christ’s voice of direction—for finding which road he is walking—not particular destinations that must be reached. Maps & compasses, not addresses.

Being with Christ wherever he leads is the real calling, especially in “disappointments.” We find in him a greater prize than any particular “destination.”

Prayer Requests

• The transition period for my (Stephen’s) work.

• Direction for our childcare needs and plans.

• For health in our family this cold and flu season. Batten kids are prone to show permanent decline after viruses. We are resisting living in fear, but we ask for prayer that Emma would be protected over the months ahead.

We’re grateful for…

• “Random” casseroles showing up on the nights our dinner plans fall apart.

• A [relatively] slow Thanksgiving holiday together.

• Texts from friends and family, near and far, just when we need them.

• Katie’s Medical Mamas group and the one-day retreat they enjoyed in November.

Resources we’re loving…

• Book: The Dawning of Indestructible Joy (Advent Devotional) by John Piper

• Song: Oil and Offering, SEU Worship

Thank you for following along with us.

For His glory,

Stephen