Archive for January, 2008

[01.28.08] Monday Night Recap
- January 28, 2008 -

[CollegeDays] This past weekend, I went to sleep at around 4am and was up by around 7am…This used to be a daily occurrence in college. Now? I was passing out at 2 in the afternoon…man I’m old.
[Equinox] After a bit of a hiatus (again), I’ve started my workout regime again. Wish me luck!
[StateOfTheUnion] George Bush gave his State of the Union address today. As I watch, one sad thing is seeing the ovation and cheers by one side while the other stays seated. I know there are differences of opinions and varying stances by parties, but these are times where you dream of a unified nation…rebuke and challenges coming face-to-face, but speaking highly of the President to those in the public. ‘Holy Gossip’ as I was taught…
[MissionsPresentation] As promised yesterday, I uploaded the missions presentation online. It’s just a glimpse of the faces out at the NavJeevan Center. If you guys have any interest in helping out or making donations for them or just to learn more about it, let me know or visit the NavJeevan website.

Here’s the presentation…

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natemathai |

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#7 (1 of 12)
- January 27, 2008 -

In my 28 in 2008, I’m 1/12th of the way of completing #7. The first book I bought/read was “Egonomics” by David Marcum and Steven Smith. And let me tell you, I really recommend this to anyone who is in a leadership position…be it in a company, ministry, relationship, whatever. It creates an opportunity for important self-reflection…understanding the limiting factors in our own lives (as well as understanding the internal issues that others could be limited by). And by knowing these things and acting wisely upon it, it will lead to more efficient progress in life.

Here are a handful of texts that jumped out at me for various reasons throughout the month:

Curiosity is the active ingredient that drives exploration of ideas. Curiosity gives us permission and courage to test what we think, feel, and believe is true, reminding us we don’t know everything about anything.
When competitive challenges consume us, combined with the general inaccuracy of our comparisons, we get sidetracked in three ways: we set goals we shouldn’t set to begin with, we set the bar higher than is reachable or realistic, or we get comfortable where we are at.
The logic behind defensiveness doesn’t stack up. If we’re wrong, do we really want to defend a bad idea or position? If we’re right, will being defensive increase or decrease the strength of our position?
When people move from sharing to showcasing, the smartest people are ignored – even when they’re needed the most.
For most people, tradition holds that the opposite of excessive ego is humility, when in fact having too little ego is just as dangerous and unproductive as having too much.
The closer we move to the extremes on humility’s equilibrium, the harder it is to make our way back to the center. The longer we stay off-center, the more comfortable we become off-center. If we don’t quickly recover, we’re more likely to develop an egotistical reflex in the way we work.
Regardless of what others say or how they act, a genuine exchange of ideas isn’t possible until people are sure what’s being questioned is ideas, not identity.
Veracity doesn’t differ from truth in its destination, but in action. Veracity implies the habitual pursuit of, and adherence to, truth. Both pursuit and adherence matter immensely, pursuit in arriving at truth, and adherence in making a change once truth is discovered.

Just recap a small glimpse of it was exciting again for me. Who would have thought this reading thing would be so informative and beneficial? Next on my reading list is unChristian…I’m excited!

Alright…3:15am…time to sleep! (I wasn’t up this late to blog, but making the 2007 NavJeevan Missions Team video for tomorrow [today's] service. If I get time, I’ll try to shrink and post and it on youTube or something)

be sure to visit the contact page if you’re looking for a chicago wedding photographer, available nationwide.

natemathai |

filed under: Personal, announcement

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Facebook
- January 24, 2008 -

I never joined Friendster. Nor did I join MySpace. I didn’t really see any benefit to it. They were social networks, but seemed more stalker-ish than I liked…and I still just can’t stand the layout of MySpace. But when Facebook came out, it came as a huge benefit. Initially I used it as a way to connect with classmates…if I missed an assignment or didn’t know when an exam was, I could easily find the people in my class and send them a message.
It’s continued to be a great resource for me to re-connect with friends from high school and old friends from across the country. It’s also a great way to reach my clients (past/present/future) and get notice to people of things going on. BUT…sometimes, it can get a bit out of control.

In it’s simplest form, Facebook is great at ‘shrinking the world’. I love things like that, because it makes us more efficient. But now, there are all the applications that that just get in the way. Normally I decline everything other than friend requests or group/event invites. But I decided to let a few just sit there for a bit and look at what I had (above image). “Friends for Sale”…”Heroes Ability”…”Zombies Invitation”…I mean, seriously? I’m sure some people have fun with this, but there are some things that just seem to not be worth the time. So just so everyone knows, I mean no disrespect by not playing the Oregon Trail with you, I just don’t have the time to play. Plus, I hate clutter, so I try to keep my page as clean as possible.

On a similar note, there are some useful/fun things that aren’t that crazy. One thing I like is the “Friend Wheel” as it visually shows the interconnectedness of all your friends…interesting thing to see. So what’s your favorite facebook app? Maybe I’ll try it out…

be sure to visit the contact page if you’re looking for a chicago wedding photographer, available nationwide.

natemathai |

filed under: Personal

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ReDesign: BLOG
- January 22, 2008 -

Alright, once I start thinking of something, I can’t let it sit. If I do, then the creative juices that were once flowing slowly dry up…and I’m left with an old idea and no real passion behind that motivation.
So what I thought would take a few months took a couple days (probably the same amount of hours logged though): I’ve redesigned my blog! Now, for everyone who subscribes to me using Google Reader (or your favorite newsreader) you won’t really notice the change. But to all the faithful who check my actual blog site, or the new-comers here, I’ve made some changes that I think you’ll enjoy.

[1] 1-column, no frills: I took out the sidebar with the archives list, the dancing photographer, and so-forth, and stretched the main content area to the full length. Now you get more of what you want, and less of what you don’t! :)

[2] color|brand consistency: I’ve matched my color palette to be consistent with that of my website. I’ve also matched transfered the signature over. I love when things work together!

[3] leave comments!: OK, you could leave comments for my posts before, but you would have to go into each individual post to find the link. That’s just silly…and I’m sorry (I didn’t even realize it for awhile!). Now after each post you’ll see how many comments are there, and also see the link to post your own. So start leaving comments! I love them…and I try to respond to them if you leave contact info.

[4] subscribe easier: At the bottom of each post, there’s also a link to easily subscribe my blog to your Google Reader (or Bloglines or Yahoo…whatever your reader of choice is).

[5] custom post titles!: This is by far my favorite customization. All photography related posts (and possibly others) will have a custom image to go along with the title…how cool is that?! I posted a semi-random one for this post, so you get the idea, and you can also check these past post’s to see it too: Jaden’s Birthday, Regional Conference, and Ammachi’s 75th. I love it!!!

Alright everyone…enjoy the new blog and start leaving comments!

be sure to visit the contact page if you’re looking for a chicago wedding photographer, available nationwide.

natemathai |

filed under: announcement

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[01.21.08] Monday Night Recap
- January 21, 2008 -

[Website] So what’s been keeping me busy to start ’08? The new website!
[Design] Don’t you just love beautiful objects that are functional? Some things are made as art, and art alone. Functional design is the greatest.
[Gladiators] I continue to enjoy it. I guess I’m a bit old school because I think the acting is over-the-top, but I still love the competitive nature of it all. Maybe one day…
[Girlfriend] Another great weekend because my girlfriend was in town. Now we take about a 3 week hiatus before my U of I trip #1 of the semester.
[Touch] As many know, Apple came out with an update for the iPod Touch which adds a sort of wi-fi GPS, as well as putting Mail, Maps, Notes and Stocks on the home screen. My only issue is it’s $20 software update. It’s not a huge amount, obviously, but is it really worth it? I don’t know. I’m going to hold off hoping they’ll make an announcement…but I do want to see how the wi-fi GPS works. Ahhhh…
[SuperBowl] Patriots continue rolling. They don’t look dominating like at the beginning of the season, but they still don’t seem beatable. and I can’t believe the Pack lost in that type of weather…it’s looking like a very boring Super Bowl Sunday coming up.

be sure to visit the contact page if you’re looking for a chicago wedding photographer, available nationwide.

natemathai |

filed under: [MNR]

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NEW WEBSITE!
- January 19, 2008 -

I know it’s been a bit quiet around here, but it hasn’t been without reason. With a new year, a new plan, and a new focus I wanted to bring about some ‘newness’ and changes for everyone.
I’m excited to announce my new website is up and running! It took a bit of time planning, designing, and coding it all (I know, I should just outsource it or buy a template…but I find a weird joy coding), but I finally got it together. Let me know what you think!
This site is simply bringing a bit of freshness for 2008, but obviously my blog is the more consistent way to keep in touch with my work and my life, and it’s the most constantly updated with information, so keep browsing. And I’ve got some changes planned for this as well! No guarantees as to how soon it’ll be, but I’m excited! (Again, I’m a coding nerd at times)
Alright, just wanting to let you all know I haven’t fallen off the face of the earth recently and I have been working. Enjoy! Here’s too an amazing 2008!

be sure to visit the contact page if you’re looking for a chicago wedding photographer, available nationwide.

natemathai |

filed under: announcement

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Macworld 2008
- January 15, 2008 -

I just finished watching the demo of the Macbook Air, as well as Jobs Keynote Address. I never thought I’d have this much Mac-love before. I was anti-Mac through high school, even into my freshman year of college. Then it was just too expensive, but I slowly started loving everything about it…their innovation, their marketing, and their understanding of the client.

My Highlights:

Mac Ads- hilarious as always
‘GPS’, Weather, Mail for the iPod Touch ($20 upgrade)
AppleTV Take2 (public announcement that they made a mistake with the direction of AppleTV)
HD/DVD Quality 30-day/24-hour Movie Rentals (probably won’t use, but interesting)
[humorous - Flickr photos DON'T work during presentation...I still enjoy when Apple has problems too]

It wasn’t the most inspiring keynote to date, but interesting none the less. OK…I’m a nerd for watching the full keynote as well as the Air demo (especially since I wouldn’t buy the Air), but I just love technology and innovation.

I realized I haven’t posted images in quite awhile…I’ve been a bit busy, but I’m planning on getting back out there and even just shooting for fun in the coming weeks. It’s coming, I promise!

be sure to visit the contact page if you’re looking for a chicago wedding photographer, available nationwide.

natemathai |

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[01.14.08] Monday Night Recap
- January 14, 2008 -

[NFL] What’s going on? Eli advances, and Peyton is out. Not sure what to expect coming up…maybe Moss continues to be human and Brady shows he is too? (It’s not as exciting with the Bears out…)
[Illini] The basketball team continues to struggle, so we’ll keep that topic silent. In other news, Mendenhall is going pro…let’s see if Zook and the Illini can follow up the Rose Bowl with another strong year.
[Alone] My girlfriend finally had to go back to U of I for law school…it was a great month…back to the grind…
[#12] With my 28 in 2008, I’ve completed #12! This past Sunday, I was given the opportunity to share my experience at the recent Regional Conference with my church. A quick 3 minute thing, but still…a speaking opportunity nonetheless!
[10ItemsOrLess] I heard a commercial for this new show on Tuesdays on TBS (11/10c) that will be on the air after re-runs of the Office (10/9c). Seems like my kind of humor. Anyone else watching?
[LazyMonday] It is…American Gladiators and rest for me! I don’t normally get many of these.

be sure to visit the contact page if you’re looking for a chicago wedding photographer, available nationwide.

natemathai |

filed under: [MNR]

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S&P #003
- January 10, 2008 -

After reading a friend’s post about her recent switch to Google Reader, I figured it’s a bit time for my next S&P post (…for those who forgot, these are things that I’ve done to increase efficiency and productivity in my life [without losing purpose]- Simple and Purposeful).
In my first two posts, I covered using folders (filters, and quick responses) in Gmail to clean out your inbox, as well as iGoogle to speed up necessary data retrieval and limit unnecessary browsing/searching/clicking. Of the 3 things I have on my iGoogle, one of them is Google Reader. It collects all the xml/rss feeds that I go desire (blogs, news, etc.) and organizes it in a setup similar to an inbox. It pulls new material as it comes in and can be sorted just like e-mail.

Being the organizational madman I am, I immediately went to the route that many others might go to prove a faux-efficiency/organization. I subscribed to all the sites I wanted to, and immediately placed them in folders/labels according to what they were about: photography, productivity, religion, friends’ blogs, etc. Now, I like this setup for e-mail because it really speeds up search time when looking back at old e-mails. But for blogs and daily news, this really doesn’t speed up efficiency. There are some blogs that I care for more than others, and some sites (specifically news) that have a new story every 10 minutes, and so my google reader then fills up rather quickly.
The solution to this is by organizing not by content, but by personal importance. In addition to the original labels (because I can’t force myself to not organize things like that), I’ve made a couple special labels that all my feeds fall into:

Must Read: I definitely want to know the content of this as it comes up.
Should Read: Good information to know, but not life altering (…really, what is though?)
Bonus: If I get time, this would be some nice reading, but I’m in no rush.
News: Between 10 different sites, I get 100 updates an hour…I’ll deal with you later.

Now, I set up my iGoogle widget for the Google Reader to only show me the feeds from my ‘Must Read’ category. This cut the amount of blog sources that I get up-to-the-minute updates from almost in half, but more importantly the total number of blog posts and news stories are drastically reduced. Again, I quickly check my homepage to see the new content, breeze through them through little pop-ups, and go on with my work. If I have time, I’ll go into Google Reader and walk through the ‘Should Read’ group, and continue on down depending on how much free time I have.
So read the info you need to have, and don’t worry about the junk stuff until later.

Oh, and some tips:
– At the end of the day, you should just click on the “Mark all as read” button for news…if you missed it that day, oh well. If it’s important enough, it’ll come back tomorrow.
– To quickly scroll through the posts, press the j-key to move to the next post, and the k-key to move to a previous post. This is really helpful when there’s some really long post that you don’t really care for so you don’t have to keep scrolling for eternity.
– If you find read something really good, SHARE IT with me! First we have to be friends on gTalk or google chat, but afterwards, at the bottom of each post there’s a ‘Share’ button, and when you click that, I get sent the same article. I love reading what other people find important.

be sure to visit the contact page if you’re looking for a chicago wedding photographer, available nationwide.

natemathai |

filed under: Personal

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Ego-Check (Pt.2)
- January 9, 2008 -

As promised, here’s the ‘flip-side’ to yesterday’s post.

So you selected your top 3-5 characteristics that you think best define you. Congrats. Those will be so beneficial in your life. But the point of this exercise was not to simply see the good in you, but learn to combat how even your good characteristics can lead to your downfall.
Every ‘good’ that we do can lead to a negative and potentially dangerous/damaging outcome when it isn’t controlled and handled properly. The same is true with your character. Here’s the list that I posted yesterday of 27 characteristics:

assertive
analytical
flexible
charismatic
committed
decisive
dedicated
directive
passionate
dependable
optimistic
open-minded
discerning
loyal
trusting
strong-willed
pragmatic
self-confident
straightforward
alert
diplomatic
determined
courageous
innovative
disciplined
smart
independent

Now, when you let your ego get in the way, here is the negative aspect of it. This is the risk of it all. Not having a proper balance of yourself- being too defensive, too comparative, too competitive, looking out for ‘me’ instead of ‘we’- will lead to this. And this is what others will most likely be able to define as great weaknesses in your leadership (Find the numbers the you chose above, and follow it through this next list):

pushy
pessimistic
pushover
manipulative
overbearing
hasty
stubborn
dictatorial
overzealous
rigid
unrealistic
indiscriminate
judgmental
blind
naive
inflexible
uninspired
self-absorbed
inconsiderate
anxious
political
stubborn
reckless
impractical
restrictive
know-it-all
detached

Let me give you some time to digest that…

Basically, when we don’t keep our ego in check, we can quickly move our positive characteristic to these negative ones, which hinder growth and progress and communication. And we probably don’t recognize it when we do. We hide under the positives of our strength, then we use that as a cover when people might tell us otherwise.
For my 5, my ‘egotistical risks’ are being pessimistic, judgmental, restrictive, a know-it-all, and detached. Harsh…but I see it as being true issues at times. One thing that I ‘pride’ myself in is my analytical and discerning characteristics. I am very capable at looking at details, being realistic, and seeing things logically. But when I put too much weight on my own abilities and research and knowledge, I tend to stunt growth by not being open to change, basing potential purely off of past experience, and not being able to trust. I was somewhat aware of it, but seeing the direct link between my strength and weakness helps me keep a strong eye on when I ‘showcase’ those characteristics.

The point of this is not simply to recognize where we are weak. We need to take this knowledge and start making change. Evaluate yourself in conversations and decisions over the next week. When you look at yourself with an open-mind, do you see yourself displaying your strengths? Do you notice how quickly it can (or did) turn into a risk, especially if you felt your ‘ego’/character/self being challenged? Write down your 5 strengths, and their corresponding weaknesses, and keep it with you. Put it up somewhere you’ll be constantly reminded of it. And learn to keep an eye on both aspects of it. The more control you have of this, the more beneficial you’ll be in your work and in relating with those around you.

So what were your 5? If you let me know (and leave an reply address), I could give you a bit more info on what are the potential rewards/risks of your strength and weakness combo.

be sure to visit the contact page if you’re looking for a chicago wedding photographer, available nationwide.

natemathai |

filed under: Personal

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Ego-Check (Pt.1)
- January 8, 2008 -

Like I stated yesterday, I’ve started my “1 book a month” thing with the book “Egonomics.” I won’t give updates all the time but more of a recap at the end of each book, but for this one, I really wanted to get this info out there.
The premise of the book is learning how ‘ego’ can be both your greatest liability as well as your biggest asset. And the idea is to learn how to control the ego in such a way to use as your asset and avoid the liability. This is very important in any sort of leadership, or even relationship in general. The more your recognize of the limiting factors of reaching your potential (and allowing others to reach their’s) the better you can fight it and work for the greater good of all.

This ‘ego-check’ post is about identifying your assets/liabilities. Part 1 will be determining what we consider our greatest assets, which will in turn help us figure out how ego plays a role in our lives. By recognizing what it is, it’s obviously easier to know how to combat it. So to start, here is a list of 27 characteristics. Pick 3-5 of these that you consider to be your strongest assets.

assertive
analytical
flexible
charismatic
committed
decisive
dedicated
directive
passionate
dependable
optimistic
open-minded
discerning
loyal
trusting
strong-willed
pragmatic
self-confident
straightforward
alert
diplomatic
determined
courageous
innovative
disciplined
smart
independent

These are your top5 strengths. This is how you ‘sell’ yourself. For a company, organization, relationship- this is what you bring to the table. Learn to use these to the fullest potential. A great leadership body would be able to have various people covering all these characteristics, therefore balancing the strengths.

Tomorrow, I’ll post the flip side to this. This was the eye-opening aspect for me.

Oh, and in an attempt to be humble, I’ll show you my 5: Analytical, Discerning, Disciplined, Smart, Independent. (It might not seem like it from these 5, but I’m really fun and exciting! I promise! :) ) The humility will come in my post tomorrow…right now it just seems like I’m praising myself.

be sure to visit the contact page if you’re looking for a chicago wedding photographer, available nationwide.

natemathai |

filed under: Personal

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[01.07.08] Monday Night Recap
- January 7, 2008 -

A new year, and the first MNR for me…

[Regionals] Like I stated before, it was truly amazing. I forgot my battery charger (doh!) so I limited my photos, but you can see the full gallery here. Again, there were many lessons learned, but one thing that reverberated day in and day out: we are forgetful people. We need to be constantly reminded…hence the reason for disciplines.
[Patroits] What did I miss? The Pats finished an undefeated season. I tip my hat to them. Not much more to say.
[Bears] I mean, seriously? Kyle Orton finishes the season 2-1! The defense loves to play when he’s in the game, for some reason. And Hester had another pro bowl game. Here’s to next season- Devin’s breaking the return record if people keep kicking to him. I guarantee it.
[RoseBowl] Ummmm…let’s not talk about it.
[Lost&Found] So, over the past 3 months, I’ve seem to have lost a few articles of clothing…and I have no idea how. If you find them, please let me know. Missing: Aeropostale Jeans, Winter hats (all 3: black/red, white/green, gray/orange). I mean, seriously? Who stole them?!
[28in2008] At the end of last year, I decided to set some goals in 2008. Looking over it, I realized one thing- I’m not really good at goal setting. But, I’m starting to make some progress. I didn’t realize how many blog hits I’d get, but I’m on pace to hit the 2000 mark by the end of February, so we’ll say its 2000 in the year. I did, however, start my book reading/purchasing, and the first two I bought were “Egonomics” and “unChristian“, and I’m starting with Egonomics for January. The first chapter in and of itself is so eye-opening…keep an eye out for a 2-part self-evaluation post from there.
[Gladiators] I posted earlier about the return of American Gladiators, and it CAME! I caught half of the season premiere yesterday, as well as watching it right now. It’ll be shown Monday nights at 8/7 central on NBC, so be sure to re-live your childhood and check it out.
[Fact] 1 in 1 people die in their lifetime. Crazy statistic, huh? Are you prepared?

be sure to visit the contact page if you’re looking for a chicago wedding photographer, available nationwide.

natemathai |

filed under: Personal, [MNR]

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Jaden’s 2nd Birthday
- January 5, 2008 -

Same day post…woo hoo!

My soon-to-be official nephew has been celebrating his 2nd birthday for about a month now. Due to Christmas, he seems to have been receiving gifts every other day, and is starting to get used to it. But I think today will be his last party for awhile.
He’s in love with fire trucks, so his parents threw him and his friends a “Fire Truck Party”! Have I told you how much I love shooting children?! With around 10 kids under the age of 3, it was a rather busy house, but entertaining (and tiring) nonetheless. There was a general play time, craft time, lunch time, cake time, and nap time (I wish I had that). It was fun hanging out with the parents (many of whom I grew up with) and capture the realism of children. I love this.
To view the full gallery, click here.

be sure to visit the contact page if you’re looking for a chicago wedding photographer, available nationwide.

natemathai |

filed under: Modern Events

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Logo 2008
- January 5, 2008 -

With the new year upon us, I figured I’d change up my logo/proof a bit. Hope you like the new look (because if you don’t…that really sucks…):

The Logo

Proof (landscape)

Proof (portrait)

be sure to visit the contact page if you’re looking for a chicago wedding photographer, available nationwide.

natemathai |

filed under: announcement

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Blog of the month(s)
- January 2, 2008 -

In a recap of 2007, I figured I look back on my ‘favorite’ (whatever that means) blog posts for each month. Looking back, though, I realized that I took a bit of a blogging hiatus from January-April, so as a bonus, those months will be recapped with when I started blogging in 2006…my have I come a long way. Enjoy!

[January] Overflow…
My first post ever. I started this blog as sort of a journal, a way to express my thoughts/feelings/views, as it’s something that I always had difficulty doing (even now). This was at the beginning of my Senior year at U of I, and had so much going on. Great weight on my shoulders regarding graduation, relationships, friendships, purpose, etc. And as I put the pen to the pad (…or more my fingers to the keys), this is what came out. I must say…I’m no great lyricist, but sometimes I impress myself :)

[February] Grace Period
Part of my collection of ‘purposeful’ posts. I didn’t want to just post random happenings, but information and thoughts that were beneficial to those who read it. I still desire to do that now, but also give people a glimpse as to who I am on day-to-day basis.
This concept of grace is still so foreign to me at times. It’s amazing how much we learn at one point, yet still forget as days and months go by. We are a forgetful people. I’m so glad I’m doing this reflection post because it’s a great reminder of how much I’m in need of grace.

[March] Leave a Legacy
Plain and simple – this is my desire. I want to leave a legacy. Not for my own name, but for His. I want people, when they remember me, to think, ‘Man, that man loved Jesus.’

[April] Immature 21
The more I tried to blog ‘purposefully’, the more I was able to see God in many different scenarios and life situations. It’s an interesting thing to look at the world and see things just a bit differently. It’s so beneficial to do this in all aspects of life, and it’s something I take pride in my growth. To look at a sports team and learn about business structure, or wildlife and see something about leadership- it’s an exciting feeling.

[May] Indecent Exposure (?)
Finally…a 2007 post. I laughed a bit again when I saw this. We live in such a crooked world. It doesn’t make sense the things societies try to censor, at the same time the things people try to receive “freedom” to do. It just doesn’t make sense.

[June] Alexis’ 2nd Birthday Photoshoot
She turned 2, and I’m just thinking of how much I’ve changed. I was using my brother-in-law’s Rebel XT for this, and retty much spent a lot of time post-processing. Over time I’ve learned how to ‘get it right’ in camera and less time behind the computer. It’s nice to look back at things like this, because you see progress and growth (as well as a picture of how potential can be achieved). Oh, and my goodness these little ones are huge now. They really keep me grounded with what life is really about.

[July] MTC Summer League Photoshoot
This was my first opportunity with my 30D. Outside of that, this was also the first Summer League that we ran (after a long drought since out last hosted bball tournament). The league was a learning experience, but the response was so great. Everyone came to play and it was fun and exciting. Not too shabby for year1, and I’m looking for to the return in 2008. The help was amazing too…I would not have been able to put on something like that without the help provided.

[August] Grieving and Praising [Reviving]
The Lord had brought my community through a lot. I still haven’t completely dealt with it. It’s not easy, but God is good.

[September] nmathaiphotography.com
The official announcement. It’s still a bit surreal that I decided to go full force (some what) and start my own photography business. It’s one of my joys and passions, and I’ve received such great support. Mark it down…the beginning of forever! I love my life!

[October] [10.22.07] Monday Night Recap
Another first’s for the year. I was able to keep the recap going every week from this day through the end of the year, with the first day that I was missing was New Year’s Eve. Not bad, I’ll get back on board again next week.

[November] Jane & Alan’s E-Session I LOVE e-sessions! My joy of photography is capturing reality and emotion, and I love having an opportunity to capture the relation of two people madly in love with each other. And even more, I love hearing their stories. Everyone is so unique and it’s just so much fun! (And with these two being my friends, all the more exciting!)

[December] Holiday Cards!
December was a tough choice as there was much that went on that I enjoyed, but I figured I’d post another ‘first’- my first Christmas Card! It was purely for fun, and I’m glad I was able to bring a smile to many people’s faces during this holiday season.

So there you have it…a post for each month (be it a few from 2006). It’s always good to look back and remember what you’ve experienced and what you’ve gone through. There’s so much more between the lines than what I’ve posted. I hope you all had a great time following my blog, and I hope to give you much, much more to look forward to in 2008!

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natemathai |

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Regionals Recap
- January 1, 2008 -

It feels like it’s been forever since I’ve posted. I apologize in advance for those who were checking the blog in hopes of seeing a daily update from regionals, but I really had no time to even transfer the images from the camera to my Macbook. But I’ve got them here for you now!
Regionals was truly amazing. Over the 3 nights there, I probably got a total of 5 hours of sleep. I don’t I’ve ever been so active at a conference/retreat in my life. Overall, though, it was a real blessing. I was forced to really serve beyond my abilities and desires.
I don’t know how to put into words just yet what happened. I know I was challenged, and I know my generation (and what I consider this next generation) was sparked to set this world ablaze in 2008. If I’m able to recap in words what was gained, I’ll post about it. Until then, you’ll just get a glimpse through photography.
To view all the images, check out the regionals website. You’ll have a link to the photo gallery, and you’ll hopefully be able to download a few of the messages on the site as well.