Rejani + Lejoe : modern events {indian creek, il}
- January 29, 2010 -
To end of last year’s shoots, I had the honor of capturing the formal engagement ceremony of Rejani and Lejoe, in Indian Creek, Illinois. Rejani is from Baltimore, and it was awesome to see both families come together to celebrate their plans for marriage. I started out at Lejoe’s house for a quick prayer before the ceremony.
We then headed over to the beautiful St. Mary Of Vernon Catholic Church in Indian Creek, Illinois for the engagement ceremony.
An Indian ceremony tradition for engagements that I love is when the two fathers hug-
After the ceremony, we headed back to Lejoe’s house for a luncheon. They did an amazing job decorating their place!
I was able to steal the two of them away for about 5 minutes for a mini-shoot, and we made the most of it!
Lejoe and Rejani, thanks for letting me serve you guys during your engagement. I wish you all the best as you prepare for the wedding day this year, and married life from then on!
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natemathai | 
filed under: Formal Engagements, Modern Events chicago wedding photographers, engagement, illinois, indian creek, Modern Events, st. mary of vernon catholic church No Comments | add a comment
Rejani + Lejoe : modern events {teaser}
- December 14, 2009 -
Rejani and Lejoe were a great couple to end the 2009 season with. They had an engagement ceremony at the beautiful St. Mary of Vernon Catholic Church in Indian Creek, Illinois followed by a small reception at his house in Gurnee, Illinois. Here’s a quick tease from the 5-minute photoshoot I was able to steal them away for during the reception:
be sure to visit the contact page if you’re looking for a chicago wedding photographer, available nationwide.
natemathai | filed under: Formal Engagements, Modern Events, engagement chicago wedding photographers, engagement, gurnee, illinois, indian creek, Modern Events, modern portraits, nate mathai, st. mary of vernon catholic church No Comments | add a comment
Alyssa’s Baptism : modern portraits {Lombard, IL}
- December 3, 2009 -
It’s crazy to see life progress. Alan and Jane were the first couple I ever shot an e-session for a few years back, and now they were welcoming their first child into the world. It was an honor for me to be able to document the baptism of baby Alyssa for them.
The ceremony took place at the beautiful St. Thomas Mar Thomas Church in Lombard, IL
They had a small reception afterwards as well.
be sure to visit the contact page if you’re looking for a chicago wedding photographer, available nationwide.
natemathai | filed under: Baptisms, Modern Events baptism, chicago wedding photographers, illinois, lombard, mar thoma, Modern Events No Comments | add a comment
Baby Alyssa : Baptism {teaser}
- October 4, 2009 -
Though few and far between, I do manage to shoot an occasional baptism every now and then. Here’s a quick tease from Saturday:
[If you follow me on twitter, you would have seen this one yesterday, as I'm starting to do some "twittertease"s where I'll post an image or screenshot of what I'm working on for those who actually do follow me. Figured it's a special something-something my twitter crew get. :)]
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natemathai | filed under: Baptisms, Modern Events baby, baptism, chicago wedding photographers, dedication, illinois, lombard, Modern Events, photography, teaser No Comments | add a comment
In Between
- April 22, 2009 -
For the past few months, my home church has been having renovations done on our building, and so we have been holding services at Life Community Church. It’s been a blessing in and of itself to have such an opportunity, but even more doors have been opened recently. Last weekend, Life Community hosted an “In Between” service on the Saturday between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, with the focus being on living life between brokenness and redemption. A few of the kids from my church put on a praise dance during the event as well. It was an awesome night of reflection.
The first performance was by a singer named LE Taylor, who had an amazing testimony to share.
After her, was the rap group ALERT who definitely got the people moving.
During the service, a group went up and shared about the “Invisible Children.” It was crazy to hear about all that has/had been going on on the other side of the world. I definitely recommend you guys to check out the site and videos to learn more.
Then came the dance by the kids from my church. Awesome work guys!
Another plug was given for Coffee Ambassadors, which is a “business as mission” concept dedicated to impact coffee producers and consumers economically, socially, spiritually, and environmentally. You can currently order their coffee beans online, and they are looking into having some standing coffee shops in the area soon.
Again, it was a great time for me to spend time reflecting on my life, and how we’re living in between brokenness and redemption- it’s Friday…but Sunday’s coming!
be sure to visit the contact page if you’re looking for a chicago wedding photographer, available nationwide.
natemathai | filed under: Modern Events, Personal No Comments | add a comment
Alphy + Sony : E-Session (teaser)
- April 20, 2009 -
This past Saturday, I spent the day with Alphy and Sony shooting their formal engagement ceremony during the day followed by their e-session. It was such a fun day from start to finish, and we were blessed with beautiful weather in Chicago finally! Here’s a little tease from their e-session that afternoon.
I’m looking forward to posting their full set soon enough, so get ready for that!
Still To Come:
- Young & John’s Proposal
- Life Community Church’s In-Between Service
- Jaimy & Sijin’s Engagement Ceremony
- Alphy & Sony’s Engagement Ceremony/E-Session
be sure to visit the contact page if you’re looking for a chicago wedding photographer, available nationwide.
natemathai | filed under: Couples Lifestyle Sessions, Formal Engagements, Modern Events, engagement No Comments | add a comment
Madelyn’s First Birthday
- April 17, 2009 -
How quickly these kids grow up! A little over a week ago, my second niece celebrated her first birthday, and all of her friends (ie. the children of her parents friends) were there to celebrate with her! :) Being only a year old, there’s not too many games and activities that you can do with the child, plus she gets tired early/fast, so this wasn’t one of those parties that went into the wee hours of the morning. Even still, it was a blast! I think the total kids outnumbered the adults (18 and over) about 2 to 1 so it was a bit louder than I’m used to, but it seemed all the kids had fun running around while the parents were able to catch up.
Here are some of her friends (or soon to be friends)…
All her friends got these cute cupcakes:
While she had her very own ‘smash cake’:
The joy of the smash cake is that it’s pretty much her first official time getting sweets (not counting the times her father sneaks frosting and such in her mouth). You place the cake in front of her, and let her go wild. Initially, she’s not too sure what to do. But once she gets started, it becomes more fun. (Towards the end, she thought it was some sort of lotion and starting rubbing it all over her arms…it was then that smash cake time ended.)
Gotta love it!
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In Between (teaser)
- April 13, 2009 -
After the beautiful proposal on Saturday, I quickly hurried back to the suburbs to make it to the “In Between Service” hosted by the Life Community Church in Des Plaines. The kids from my church were performing a dance alongside a slew of other awesome performances and presentations. I’ll have a more in depth write-up of the blessed event, but for now here’s a teaser of the lead vocalist of the rap group ALERT:
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natemathai | filed under: Modern EventsBobby + Reeny : engagement ceremony
- April 1, 2009 -
After a break from shooting for a couple months, I got back into the swing of things with an engagement ceremony. But this wasn’t your average engagement- Bobby is my 2nd cousin, and we pretty much grew up together being the closest in age among the male cousins in the family. Reeny is from North Carolina, so the wedding is going to be held out there in September, so the family held a formal engagement ceremony here in Chicago for a bit of a pre-celebration. The engagement ceremony was held at beautiful Ashyana Banquets is Downers Grove, Illinois.
I love this shot! The lobby was quite busy as everything was getting set in the hall.
There’s always good food at Indian functions :)
The ceremonial handshake/hug between the fathers…
Bobby’s cousins sang a special song during the event as well…
I’ll end with this shot of my competition ;) These are actually my aunt/uncles bringing a bit of photo and video “fusion” to the event…I need to up my game!
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natemathai | filed under: Formal Engagements, Modern Events, engagement No Comments | add a comment
I’m Back (with a teaser!)
- March 27, 2009 -
I haven’t been this bad about blogging since I first started over on blogger in early 2006. The past couple weeks have been crazy, though, as my Macbook Pro had to be sent in for repair twice because of a failed logic board. Couple that with the busy-ness of planning on my own wedding and shoots starting to pick up for the year means for a very hectic schedule. Even still…no excuse! I apologize and promise to be better.
Last weekend I had 4 shoots so I definitely have a bunch of images to get through now that I’ve got my machine back, but I figured I’d start with a teaser to get everyone back into the mode of checking out the blog and leaving some love! :) And I’m sure everyone wants their own special teaser…but I like the suspense of it all and will only reveal one teaser at a time. So here’s just one from Sunday that nobody should be able to get mad at. It’s my neice’s first birthday party, and she got to have her first taste of cake!
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natemathai | filed under: Modern EventsS.A.L.T.
- March 12, 2009 -
SALT stands for South Asian Leadership Training, and this year they had their second annual conference in Rosemont, IL at the Wyndham. It’s hosted by Cornerstone Fellowship at UIC which is partnered with Campus Crusade, and has the focus of raising up leaders in the Indian community to spread the gospel message on their campuses and in their communities. As I have a few friends on leadership there, it was a blast and a blessing to help serve them again this year in covering the event.
be sure to visit the contact page if you’re looking for a chicago wedding photographer, available nationwide.
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Monday Night Recap?
- March 9, 2009 -
OK, so I feel like it’s been FOREVER since I last posted, and for that I’m truly sorry! Things have been quite busy lately, and it’s going to get even more hectic, but that’s no excuse. Don’t worry, I’ll get back on track with all of this. But while I’m here, I figured I’d give a bit of an update of what’s been going on.
MacBook Pro
One of the main reasons why I’d been MIA: the logic board on my MBP fried. At first I thought it was my hard drive that crashed, and was just going to replace it (lucky for my I backup). Apple looked at it, though, and confirmed it was the logic board that was gone, so they got that replaced for me. Took about a week to get my laptop back- I felt so alone during that time. But it finally came home this past weekend, and I’m good to go! Thanks for your concern.
ABDC
Since I haven’t been doing the MNR anymore, unless you follow me on twitter you didn’t get updated on my following of America’s Best Dance Crew! Much respect to the top teams, but Quest Crew seriously was amazing. There was a heated debate between friends about who deserved to win based on the entire season- Quest Crew or Beat Freaks. My take: Beat Freaks were amazing. They had some great performances, EXCEPT for the last show, where both performances were unimpressive. Quest Crew brought something new each week. Some shows they were outperformed by Beat Freaks, but there wasn’t a single performance where they didn’t show up. Based on creativity and consistency, the best team definitely won.
S.A.L.T.
Cornerstone Fellowship at the University of Illinois in Chicago held their second annual SALT Conference, and I was blessed to help cover part of the event for them again. Now that I’ve got my laptop back I can start catching up on my editing again, and will get a full post up about soon.
One thing that I have a serious problem with is design: I am never satisfied and constantly try to design and re-design the heck out of things. I’m already thinking of revamping this site again, and I’m surprised I’ve kept it like this for as long as I have. One thing I decide to change up, which was a semi-quick one, was redesigning my twitter home page. I realized that more and more people me check out my tweets who might not actually “know” me or follow my blog like the three of you, so I re-designed it a bit to give a bit more info and ways to connect with me. So go to my page and check it out! (and follow me if you’re on twitter…you’ll definitely get updates much faster than just reading the blog :))
Wedding Website
This was the other big design undertaking that I took. Last fall I built my wedding website, and I was semi-pleased with it, but definitely not satisfied. About 6 months have gone by since it went live, and I felt I needed to completely overhaul it. We wanted to make it more fun for people to come to the site and bring people back more often. And since I’m already a blogging fiend, I think you already how I redesigned it. :) Once again, big ups to Kenny Kim for his e-session pics that are scattered throughout the site. Head over to our new and improved wedding website (http://www.nateandnithya.com/) and let me know what you think! (Don’t forget to sign the guestbook (multiple times if you’d like :)), and if there’s anything you’d like me to blog about over there, let me know!)
NCAA Tournament
It’s that time of the year again! This is one of my favorite sporting events of all time because you seriously do not know what’s going to happen next. My beloved Illinois is definitely in the tourney again, and it’s only a question of what seed they get (looking for a good showing in the Big Ten tourney this week to help them out). all 65 teams will be announced this weekend, and then the fun begins! I’ve set up a pool over on ESPN so you can go and get setup right now, but you’ll only be able to make your bracket after Selection Sunday. I’ll get another post up when it opens up to remind everyone, but head over there right now to create your logins and stuff (and tell your friends too…the more the merrier!).
Group Name: NMP Tourney Challenge
Also, to sweeten the deal a bit, winner of the tourney will get a $10 iTunes gift card! (If I win, I’ll wait patiently for one of you to send me a gift card :)) If that’s not reason to get involved, I don’t know what is! So again, let people know and get ready for the madness we all love, starting this weekend!
Alright, that should hold you guys over for a bit longer, right? ;)
be sure to visit the contact page if you’re looking for a chicago wedding photographer, available nationwide.
natemathai | filed under: Formal Engagements, Modern Events, Modern Weddings, Personal, [MNR]Chicago Auto Show 2009
- February 22, 2009 -
I’ve been born and raised in the greater Chicagoland area, meaning I’ve been here for almost 25 years now. Surprisingly, one thing that I had never done before was go to the Chicago Auto Show, held annually at McCormick Place in downtown Chicago. Now I’ve never been a huge ‘car guy’ per se, but I do believe it’s an experience to have. This past Saturday, I went with a couple a friends to this year’s show and it was an interesting event as a whole. It wasn’t as crowded as I expected possibly due to the fact it was the second to last day of the show, plus there was the 4-8 inches of snow that had just fallen the night before (gotta love Chicago weather!), but still quite a few people were there to see what’s new conceptually and just to sit in some really nice cars.
Well, without further ado, here’s a glimpse of some of the cars shown at this year’s show:
I saw this sign in the BMW section which grabbed my attention to sit and ponder for a bit…
For those of you looking to get me a wedding gift later this year and nothing on the registry catches your attention (or it’s all gone by the time you check it out) feel free to get us the next car which I believe stole a little bit of my heart yesterday: the Mercedes Benz SLR McLaren. I believe the price tag on this one was $495k, but I’m sure you can bargain that down a bit in this economy :) Oh, I’d like to have an orange interior, though…thanks!
And the big finish: BUMBLEBEE! Not sure how many of you grew up on Transformers, but it’s a classic! And with Transformers 2 coming out in the summer, GM brought out Bumblebee along with a couple friends (in car form) to the auto show, which was nice to see.
Here’s a question for you all: What’s your dream car (if money was no option)? Either put the car name, or describe it (if it hasn’t been made yet) in the comments below! Looking forward to hear from you all!
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natemathai | filed under: Modern Events, PersonalFounder’s Week – Moody Bible Church (Alistair Begg)
- February 4, 2009 -
Last night a bunch of my guys headed over to Moody Bible because they are hosting Founders Week this week (a week long event in celebration of the founder D.L. Moody). Although I’ve lived here my whole life, this was my first time attending this conference, and it was an amazing experience. Alistair Begg simply spoke truth in his message, and it was great to hear!
One concept that really stuck out: ‘There is a significant number within the Christian framework that don’t understand/believe/can explain the truth of the gospel. So many people don’t tell or haven’t really heard the gospel; we tell the benefits of believing or the dangers of not believing, but not the gospel itself. In this we simply rely on human wisdom and empty the cross of its power.’
I was able to grab a few pics from my seat so enjoy the view!
This was a crazy sight: 2 people playing the same piano…at the same time!
It was also an awesome time to hear Christy Nockels of Watermark there!
be sure to visit the contact page if you’re looking for a chicago wedding photographer, available nationwide.
natemathai | filed under: Modern Events, PersonalRecap: MTC Winter Regional Conference
- January 8, 2009 -
From December 27th-30th, most of you know I was out in Michigan for a church retreat. I had been attending this conference since my freshman year of high school, and it has changed greatly over the years, both in the format as well as my role. One thing that stayed consistent throughout the many blessings this conference brings. I posted a general photo recap here, here, and here (3 days of it), so I’ll just give more info to go alongside that. I’ll post a full set of images up on facebook, so be sure to be my friend and then check it out!
What normally takes about 5 hours turned into almost a 12 hour trip, as both of the buses leaving Chicago broke down in some way, shape or form. We spent a couple hours on the side of the highway, then a few more waiting at a Wendy’s nearby before finally getting new buses and continuing our journey. So we showed up about 6 hours late, but at least we made it!
Almost every year we host the event at Michindoh Ministries Conference Center in Hillsdale, Michigan. I took this pic on the last day (as it was obviously too dark when we first got in…this is what we normally arrive to, though.
The two speakers we had were Rev. Biju Simon and John C. Mathew, both flying in from the East Coast. Pretty dynamic speakers that challenged us on the importance of missions work, as well as the centrality of the Bible in traditional church liturgy- a very eye-opening mesage.
One of the highlights was a creative presentation given by the youth of the Detroit church. To the song “Who Am I” by Casting Crowns, they did a form of ‘body worship’ using a black light – BALLER! watching it was amazing, photographing it…not so much. ;) For the tech specs, I shot these at f2.8, 1/30th, ISO3200 on the 5D. It’s near impossible to focus on anything in the dark, let alone some white hands moving around!
On the last night, the speakers asked all the kids to write down different addictions, struggles, and issues that hold them back in their life, and by choice they would come to the front and throw it in the trash- sort of a visual symbol of letting go of these things.
It was truly a sight to see these kids ranging from 13-22 making such a statement. I’m excited to see how God uses this generation in the years to come.
On the last day, I did a quick walk around the area and grabbed a few shots. In all my years, I realized that I never really took the time to just escape to the beauty of this land (of course, in the middle of winter it’s never really been a viable option). But it was beautiful! The first one is my new desktop background:
Like I said, a full photo recap is all uploaded on facebook, so be my friend and check ‘em out!
be sure to visit the contact page if you’re looking for a chicago wedding photographer, available nationwide.
natemathai | filed under: Modern Events, Personal No Comments | add a comment
MTC Regionals: Day3
- December 30, 2008 -
Full recap to come, but for now enjoy the images.
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MTC Regionals: Day2
- December 28, 2008 -
Full recap to come, but enjoy the photos for now!
be sure to visit the contact page if you’re looking for a chicago wedding photographer, available nationwide.
natemathai | filed under: Modern EventsMTC Regionals: Day1
- December 27, 2008 -
After our bus broke down, we finally arrived in Michigan (a 12 hour tour). Since we arrived late, we came partway through the sessions, but here’s a sneak peak. (more commentary to follow, enjoy the images for now!)
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Michelle and Suresh :: engagement
- December 11, 2008 -
Like many in the Indian community, Suresh and Michelle had a formal engagement ceremony to announce their plans for marriage. I do enjoy the concept of it because it’s a verbal declaration of two families (not just two individuals) of their decision to move forward. It’s awesome to have agreement from both parents and friends as you move forward in such an important step in your life.
We started with Michelle getting ready…
I love Indian events because the colors are awesome! All the details were beautiful for the day…
Before heading to the hall, the family had a short prayer session…
For centerpieces at Venuti’s Banquets in Addison, Ilinois, Suresh and Michelle placed goldfish and fish food at every table for the guests to take with them- how awesome is that!?
Both of the fathers said a few words before announcing the date for the wedding next spring…
Their friend also gave a short message…
The MCs played a little game of “Who is more…” that got quite a bit of laughs. Did you know Suresh takes longer to get ready, while Michelle is better at football? The things we learn :)
Afterward, the MCs also did a short re-enactment of how Suresh proposed – I love when people do this!
A few of their close friends also performed a dance for them…
Michelle and Suresh, I had a great time working with you guys! I’m looking forward to th e-session and wedding in May!
be sure to visit the contact page if you’re looking for a chicago wedding photographer, available nationwide.
natemathai | filed under: Modern Events, engagement No Comments | add a comment
Leadership Fellowship
- December 11, 2008 -
Last night, the leadership team at my church met up for an end of the year fellowship, which was a great time. I’ve been so blessed to be able to serve alongside them over this past year, and I look forward to what’s to come in the future. We had some dinner, then played a couple games (a hand tapping game and this odd game called “Poor Kitty”), and then closed the night off with some praise and prayer. Afterwards, a couple of us stayed back to play a few rousing rounds of Cut-Throat Uno – it’s been so long since I played! For those who don’t know, here are the rules:
- Standard Uno Rules apply
- Regardless of turn, if you have the same color and number as a card that has been played, you can play your card and cut the rest of the group. So if someone puts a blue-9 down, you can put down a blue-9 even if its not your turn. Also, ‘draws’ are additive…if a person puts down a Draw-4, and then you put down a Draw-4, the next person must Draw-8.
- If anyone puts down a 3 (any color), everyone rotates their entire hand to the right.
- If a person puts down a 7, they have to trade their hand with anyone they wish
- (my favorite rule) you do not have to play card, even if you have it.
This play causes alliances to be drawn and much screaming in large groups. We only played 4 or 5-handed, but it was still fun! You know, people make the best expressions when they are playing games :) Enjoy!
IN OTHER NEWS
I’m going to my first Bears game of my life tonight against the Saints! Definitely a great way to have my first game- Bears facing a must-win game against Drew Brees and the Saints, night game, middle of winter with possible flurries during game time…BALLER! I’ll definitely be layering up…now do I bring my gear or no?
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natemathai | filed under: Modern Events, PersonalCFC Mini Olympics
- September 29, 2008 -
This past weekend I went down to U of I to visit my fiance and other friends out there, and my campus church (CFC) was hosting their annual Mini Olymipics event. Though I was on campus for about 5 years worth of Mini-O’s, I had only attended 2. This year, the Indian Christian Fellowship actually formed their own team to particpate, so I joined up with them to give my support. Mini O’s is such an amazing type of event, as it brings pretty much everyone from within the church together for all these different competitions and events. It really draws a lot of eyes to see hundreds of people people gathered around an open field (looking crazy), laughing and competing in all these weird games.
Although there were tons of people out there with their dSLRs (I’m constantly surprised by seeing so many undergrads with there cameras…where do they get the money?), but the official photogs for the event were Dan Lee and Christina Lee, so go check out their shots. Of course, I also had my gear with me, so I grabbed a handful of shots to keep me busy. I didn’t stay the whole time so this is just a small piece of what went on there. Enjoy!
These people are serious, no joke!
These are the ones with the most control – you mess around, you get sprayed.
I used to be an ISR guy when I was on campus, so this is my crew – I seriously thing we’re the coolest ones :)
The first “competition” is the chant, where teams create their own chants and perform it in front of everyone. Best chant gets the most points. These seem to be getting more and more hardcore at each new Mini-O’s.
Here’s Dan Lee doing his thing.
Obviously my fave – Jabba Wockees Inspired (done by an ISR group)
Like I said, each time it gets more complicated with different props and such. This group brought out a sheet a cardboard and had this guy do flares throughout the chant.
Here’s my friend Taniya, who is now a freshman at U of I. She used to be a cheerleader in high school, and they used that to their advantage.
This must be the longest game ever. The premise was to take a hula hoop and throw it around a team member, who was quite a distance away. That person could not move their feet and had to keep their arms to their side. The distance was a bit far, and with the wind, it took forever for people to do this. Funny to watch, but still a long game.
A couple times throughout the day there is something called “Spirit Points”. The main ref (Suggey) would run around through each team and they would scream/cheer/do whatever they could to get his attention and get some points.
There was also an “area competition” (as small groups in the church are broken down into about 6 different areas). One leg of the race was this triple push-up…it takes a LOT of arm/upper body strength to take care of this.
The final leg was a race by the pastors of each area. Here’s the ISR area pastor pushing ahead.
But coming down the stretch, he cramped up and couldn’t finish, allowing the FAR PAR pastor (my small group leader when I was a freshman…small world!) to pull past…
I told you that people will do anything to get some spirit points – this team was ready to do some bribing with cupcakes…
It was fun for all ages too!
And here’s the squad ICF got together:
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natemathai | filed under: Modern Events[09.02.08] Monday Night Recap
- September 2, 2008 -
- [Ummm...] Yes, I know it’s Tuesday. Yes, I know its Tuesday night. I’ve been near perfect (if not perfect) about getting these up on Mondays since I started last year. Oh well…better late than never, right?
- [Photo Challenge] August is over, so get your submissions for that challenge e-mailed into challenge(at)natemathai(dot)com. I’ll post the next challenge within the week and get these submissions up as well.
- [Cubbies] After some dramatic, come-from-behind victories last week (Aramis with a grand slam in the 8th, Soriano with a solo-shot to take the lead in the 7th the day after), we had a rough weekend. Even still, we’re 4.5 games up on the Brewers, and I think the magic number is around 20-something…we’re coming down the home stretch!
- [Liza and Shibu] On Saturday, I shot the engagement ceremony of Liza and Shibu at the India House Banquets in Schaumburg, Illinois. Here’s a little tease for you all:
- [College Friends] Two years later, and we all still hang out…that’s a good sign, right? 11 of us got together on Sunday (missing one in Atlanta) for some fun times of freeze tag, water balloons, and volleyball in the park, followed by pizza at Barnaby’s. No pics…I wanted to avoid getting yelled at for bringing the camera everywhere :)
- [Blogging Friends] I’m a blog junkie, where in addition to my own blogging, I follow 25, 50, too many blogs, many of other photographers, others on finance, business, marketing, technology…and the list goes on. I decided I should give a shout out though, to a couple of my non-photography friends’ blogs that post regularly so you can go check them out. Not listed? You haven’t posted enough!
- {Rincey} It’s 100% personal. But she’s an amazing writer and completely knowledgeable about all things pop culture and beyond (she’s a journalism major). She’s been blogging for quite some time to (longer than I have I think) so she’s very well-seasoned. One of the few blogs I read all the copy to.
- {Jason} A more recent blogger and long-time friend, he’s started one to document his families current move back to the Chicagoland area from Bloomington/Normal, as well as his journey in starting his insurance agency. And more than just personal info, he’s dropping some good info on finances here and there, so definitely check it out.
- {Sibi} My brother-in-law is trying it out now, and already has some quality information up there. He’s a Mac/Tech addict so you’ll definitely gain knowledge on quality products and apps coming out. He’s also occasionally giving some wise financial tips as well.
- —> I have a couple other friends who have blogs, but don’t update regularly, so they don’t get posted. Oh well, such is life. :)
- [Google Chrome] So it seems Google is launching its own web browser (a-la Safari, Firefox, Internet Explorer). I’ve tested it out for a couple of hours earlier today, and its very bare bones (they wanted it minimalistic). It’ll take some getting used to, and I’m sure there will be much more to come since this is just the first beta release. The one thing I do like: Most Visited Websites when opening a new tab. Each time you open a tab, thumbnails of your most recently sites appear in a grid for you to click to go directly to it instead of having to type the address in. More than the browser itself, though, I feel like if this browser can surpass that of Firefox/Safari in usability, Google’s Android begins that much stronger of a force. Just my musings…awaiting for the release on OS X.
- [Budgeting] In planning for a wedding/future, I’ve begun the budgeting process with my fiance, which leads me to the following poll. Please humor me by selecting your current ‘state of budgeting’, and if you’d like explain why you’re in that situation in the comments below.
[poll=2]
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natemathai | filed under: Modern Events, Personal, [MNR], engagement[07.28.08] Monday Night Recap
- July 28, 2008 -
- [Photo Challenge] This month’s almost done, so get your submissions in ASAP! I promise I’ll be better about posting the next challenge within the first week of the month. :)
- [Nish & Joel] I posted yesterday, but my sister got married on Saturday and the happy couple are on their honeymoon now. I was told not to bring my camera so my gear sat at home throughout the festivities. But if you want to see some pics from the rehearsal and a quick grab of the details, check out yesterday’s post.
- [Summer League] The Bulls win! The Bulls win! They beat the Jazz! Reminds me of mid-90′s…except no last minute jumper by MJ to win it. With 6 rookies, the Bulls took had am impressive run through the league losing only one season game on a last second shot on day2. There was some amazing talent that came through again, and it’s only looking to get even more exciting in years to come. Thanks to all the staff who helped put this together as well as the players for making it the success that it was. Check out the site for many more pics for this year’s league.
- [Teaser] I’m still getting through Linzy and Christiaan’s wedding, but wanted to get another teaser out there for you..the full recap will be coming soon.
Do you see where the ball is? Passes like that will always bring the oohs and ahhs…
be sure to visit the contact page if you’re looking for a chicago wedding photographer, available nationwide.
natemathai | filed under: Modern Events, [MNR]Linu and Sunil’s Engagement
- July 23, 2008 -
Earlier in the month I shot the engagement ceremony of Linu and Sunil. Their wedding is going to be held in India, so this was their opportunity to bring all the close friends and family together to celebrate with them who will not be able to make the trip.
I love it when you can see the union not just of two individuals, but also two families. It was also so great to experience the love within each family…the fathers had so much to say of their children, and it was very clear how tightly knit all of them were.
Linu and Sunil, I wish you guys all the best in your married life to come.
be sure to visit the contact page if you’re looking for a chicago wedding photographer, available nationwide.
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[07.21.08] Monday Night Recap
- July 21, 2008 -
- [Photo Challenge] I know I posted it late, but the month’s almost up for July’s challenge! Get on it and send them in!
- [Turning 24] This past Thursday I celebrated my 24th birthday…man am I old! I started with work from 9-5 (I know…I should have taken the day off, but I need to save my vacation days). Afterward, I came home for dinner with my family and girlfriend, and then the two of us went to watch a movie in the park. A rather relaxing night.
Last year, I made a point to respond to each person who wished me a happy birthday, but this year there were way too many sources! Text messages, phone calls, e-mails, facebook, twitter, IM…I just couldn’t do it! I’m thankful to all of you who did send messages though…if it makes you feel any better I did read them all!
Oh, when you get this old, you rarely receive physical gifts, really…but my girlfriend came through yet again (isn’t she the greatest!): - [Indo-Pak] I remember going to helping out with the Indo-Pak tournaments in the early 90′s since my cousin ran them, and this year I went back as a photographer. I’ll have a write-up once I process the images, but here’s what you get for now:
- [Girl Seeing] That’s a very loose translation of what Saturday held for me. It’s an Indian tradition for the groom (to be)’s family (elders) to go to the house of the bride (to be) and see the girl…and so on Saturday my family went to visit my girlfriend. About 15 from my side of the family drove over there, sat around and stared at each other, ate dinner, and returned. In the end, I think everything worked out because nobody is going to call off the wedding :)
- [Summer League] My season is over. Sadly, I wasn’t able to take any pictures this past week either! I was shooting Indo-Pak earlier in the evening, and made it to Summer League just in time for the last 3 games of the night, 2 of which I was playing in (we need more photographers!). The good news is we finally won! We had inter-league games, and we pulled out the first win in OT, and the second one we pulled away at the end. Even with those two wins, though, we weren’t able to get into the playoffs because of the point differential. Ah well, we played the spoiler determining the fate of a couple of teams in the West. Looking forward to seeing EVERYONE there next week for the playoffs and All-Star game!
- [Wedding Planning] Man is it busy! My sister’s wedding is this coming Saturday so it’s a last minute crunch on seating charts and details and such. The good news is I’ll have a lot of things taken care of and organized for my wedding next year! Yay for silver linings!
be sure to visit the contact page if you’re looking for a chicago wedding photographer, available nationwide.
natemathai | filed under: Modern Events, Personal, [MNR] No Comments | add a comment
[07.14.08] Monday Night Recap
- July 14, 2008 -
- [Rough Thursday] Last Thursday I had a rough day. A bunch of last minute projects made me stay at work an hour late. Then I had to walk to the train in the rain. Then I drove through a hailstorm to get to the Men’s Warehouse in order to get fitted for my tux for my sister’s wedding in 2 weeks. I pulled into a parking lot to turn around and I hit pothole and popped my tire. And I still hadn’t packed for my trip. But I thought, ‘Ah well, it could be worse.’ And then I was fine. :)
- [North Carolina] Because you all are obviously wanting more, here’s a pic of part of the living area in the cottage I was staying at, and then a view of my “backyard”:
- [Linzy and Christiaan] Like I said before, I was out in North Carolina to shoot my first destination wedding! The wedding was at the beautiful Duke Chapel (…I’m still not a Duke fan), with the reception back at the Governor’s Club. I’ll have a full write-up later, but here’s a handful of teasers until then:
- [Photographic History] Somewhere on the plane ride back I got a bit under the weather, and just felt like sleeping. But I got a quick call from my dad asking to go to my godparents place (his uncle) to take a portrait shot of them (which I wasn’t too excited about intially due to my ‘under-the-weather-ness’). You see, hanging in family room is a picture from India taken awhile ago with my Dad’s father, his brothers and their wives (minus the youngest brother, who is my godfather). So my dad wanted to get a picture of them in a similar pose/style blown up to hang right next to it. I don’t have a copy of the original, but this is what we’re blowing up:
It really helped me remember the importance of photography in people’s lives. This is something that goes back many generations. My only knowledge of some of my grandfather’s brothers are purely through these pictures. I’m glad I’m able to provide a service like this which last well beyond even my client’s years. - [Summer League] After the portraits I got changed up and headed out to summer league. There were some good news and bad news. The good news was I played like I knew what I was doing (unlike last week) and felt closer in skill to my younger days. But the bad news – we lost both our games. So that makes us 0-4, and the only team not to win a game yet. Sad! We’ve got to step it up big time next week as our league lives are on the line…I’ll have gone from being in the Eastern Conference finals last year to not even making the playoffs this year. Wish me luck!
- [The Shot] Sadly, I didn’t have a picture of this as I put my camera to get ready for my game. But just a story: Going into the day, there were 3 undefeated teams, and all 3 suffered their first loss. The one with all the attention was the Pistons vs. the Bulls. Clock winding down, tie game, Shawn Thomas with the ball…8, 7, 6…baseline, spin…5, 4…turnaround, fade, shoot…3…around the rim, SCORE! The Bulls had 2 seconds but couldn’t get a good shot, and so ended their run to perfection! This porved a couple things to me…1) Summer League is filled with MADNESS!, and 2) Never put down the camera. Sorry guys!
- [All-Star] This is probably most boring time in sports during the year, as none of the 4 major sports in the US have an official game going on. It’s the night of the MLB home run derby before the all-star game, but it just doesn’t have the same excitement as before for me. But the All-Star game tomorrow…the Cubbies got 8 represented (with Marmol taking Woods’s place because he has a blister)! Awesome!
- [2.0] The iPhone 3G came out, and over million were sold over the weekend (the original iPhone took 74 days to hit the one million mark). I’m still debating whether to switch over to AT&T once my contract with T-Mobile finishes up, but we’ll see. I must say, I am liking the 2.0 software though (played around with it on my brother-in-laws original iPhone…).
The chapel was AMAZING!
…inside and out…
be sure to visit the contact page if you’re looking for a chicago wedding photographer, available nationwide.
natemathai | filed under: Modern Events, Modern Portraits, [MNR]Alexis’ 3rd Birthday
- July 8, 2008 -
It seems like just yesterday I left work early to get to the hospital to see my first niece. Now she is 3 years old and has a baby sister. It’s crazy how fast things change.
Alexis had a luau for her 3rd birthday and invited a bunch of her friends (and their parents), which meant the house was filled with these little ones running around. With a scare of rain, they brought much of the festivities indoors, but were able to go outside for some cake…and everybody loves cake!
Here’s the birthday girl…
There was a time for dancing…
Some of the best limbo you’ve ever seen!
When I took this picture, I thought “If these two hook up, this is definitely going in their wedding slideshow”. Then I thought, “That’s like in 20 years at least!” Do you think they’ll still be doing slideshows? What do you think will be the next big thing?
And with everyone there, it was only fitting to have a quick portrait of all (most of) the parents with their little ones(I think the parents enjoyed it a bit more than their children)…
The wife and kids couldn’t make it…but that doesn’t mean he can’t have a picture…
be sure to visit the contact page if you’re looking for a chicago wedding photographer, available nationwide.
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[06.23.08] Monday Night Recap
- June 23, 2008 -
- [Photo Challenge] 1 more week for this month! Remember, this challenge is about composition, and giving your keeping your subject OUT of the center of the frame.
- [Cubbies] We had tough break getting swept by Tampa last week, but we just owned the AL Central leading White Sox in the crosstown series! (For the record, I’m not a White Sox hater…but am a MUCH bigger Cubs fan). Surprisingly enough, I was busy enough that I didn’t get to see any of the games…how sad is that!? Ah well…
- [ABDC] I was very disappointed in America’s Best Dance Crew last wek…the people who killed it the season premiere dropped the ball, and the average dancers really put on a show. One thing, though…I don’t like there are these “Best…” shows that do not bring back previous competitors. It would have been better if you had like that top 3 from last year come back and defend…I mean, seriously. JabbaWockees, Kaba Modern and Status Quo should have to prove themselves year in and year out (of course, they’d obviously own the competition…but it’d still be fun). Just a thought…
- [Ben & Anee] On Saturday, another set of friends got married…yep, it happens A LOT in my community. I think this is the 3rd set this year where both the bride and groom were from my home church! I’ve known both of them for awhile and have served alongside them over the past year. It’s so exciting to see two people get together with such a great vision for the future.
Showing up as a guest, I let the paid photog’s do all the work :). But here are a few I grabbed… - [Alexis' Birthday Party] Happy 3rd Birthday Alexis!! Wow…my niece is now 3! Today is her official birthday, but yesterday we had a Luau party for her and her friends at the house…my goodness all these kids are growing up so fast! I’m actually able to have a bit of dialog with them, which makes them more entertaining for me (I mean, they’re cool when they’re younger, but this is the age I like). Here’s a glimpse of the party, with a recap to be posted later:
- [Reflections] On my train ride to work, I was listening to a podcast by Ravi Zacharias entitled ‘The Lostness of Man”. Here are a few quotes that really hit me that I felt like sharing:
- The fact of the matter is that man carries on this game of pretense into many, many arenas of his life. He is attempting to build civilizations when he does not know what it means to be civilized. He is trying to be a philosopher when he does not know who the master philosopher is. He is portraying his artistic perceptions, he does not know the master artist. He moralizes on life, but he does not know the moral law giver.
- (quoting Dr. John R.W. Stott) Many of the happenings of civilized society would not exist if it were not for human sin. A promise is not enough, we need a contract. Doors are not enough, we have to lock and bolt them…Law and order are not enough, we need police to enforce them. All these things and many others to which we have grown accustomed that we have taken them for granted are due to our sin. We cannot trust each other, we need protection from one another; it is a sorry state of affairs.
- …until [we] understand the heart of man, [we] will never understand the justification by faith.
Ben walked his mother down the aisle…
Anee taking a breath before beginning her walk…
This cute little girl had her doll with her in this exact same position every time I saw her…
The details! The cake (v1)…
And here’s version 2…
In lieu of wedding favors, Ben and Anee made a donation to the Binil Samuel Memorial Fund on behalf of each guest…
For the past few years this used to be me – I was a part of the ‘wedding dance’ crew who would dance at many receptions. It seems like the guys get older and broken down much faster than the girls do, because my generation of guys seemed to all have retired. We used to dance with these girls…and now they just got the new crew of males to step up…I think we should battle one day :)
So there’s a glimpse into what I contemplate during my days…enjoy! Happy Monday everybody!
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natemathai | filed under: Modern Events, [MNR] No Comments | add a comment
CMTC Metropolitan Reception
- June 14, 2008 -
My home church (Chicago Mar Thoma Church) is a part of a much larger diocese which spans North America and Europe (and I believe Australia). It’s really amazing to think back of the rich history and tradition that my church holds, as we trace our beginnings to 52AD, when the Apostle Thomas made his way into India (don’t worry…I won’t go through the entire lineage!)
Due to the size and growth of our community in recent years, we officially have three churches in the Chicagoland area to accommodate, and every now and then we are able to hold events to bring all of them together. A few weeks back, we had two of the bishops from within our diocese visit us, and so we were able to bring all the churches together at Evanston High School for a service.
be sure to visit the contact page if you’re looking for a chicago wedding photographer, available nationwide.
natemathai | filed under: Modern EventsAjoy’s 30th Birthday
- June 14, 2008 -
His sister asked him what he wanted he wanted for his birthday, and he said appetizers and drinks at Bin36 with his close friends. So she set it all up, but then along the way he decided he didn’t want that anymore. That didn’t stop her from setting it up, but if his request for no party wasn’t enough, the week of the party he called up Bin to check if there were reservations made!
Many people know how difficult it is to plan a surprise, but somehow this one still worked out. Ravita and Anu were able to throw a great surprise 30th birthday party for their brother at Bin36 in downtown Chicago with all his friends. And even through his attempts to ruin the surprise, they still pulled it off nicely.
I had a blast shooting your party, and another Happy 30th, Aj!
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Indian Christian Fellowship Alumni Reunion
- May 29, 2008 -
The Indian Christian Fellowship is a college ministry at the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign), which I had attended through my college career there. A couple weeks ago we had a little reunion with graduates from years past (about a decade covered!), and it was an awesome time to reconnect, play some games, eat some food and here what was going on and how things have been changing and transforming over the years. Here are some shots from the night:
A future Illini…
A few reflections…
Yes…it is a mustache! He’s doing a bit of a fundraiser at his church where the elders are growing mustaches (no beards, goatees, or anything like that) for 6 weeks! I think he should keep it even after the 6 weeks :)
The entire gang:
It’s great to be connected with such a rich organization that transcends yourself. Hopefully we’ll be able to get even more of the alumni to come out!
be sure to visit the contact page if you’re looking for a chicago wedding photographer, available nationwide.
natemathai | filed under: Modern Events[05.19.08] Monday Night Recap
- May 19, 2008 -
- [Photo Challenge] We’ve got a little over a week left in this month’s challenge. This one requires a bit more ‘creativity’ on your part as the photographer, but should be tons of fun! Get ‘em in!
- [Twitter] I tried doing this before, and after one tweet (is that what it’s called?) I stopped. But I’m going to try to get back on this again. Maybe I’ll even start updating my Facebook away message with twitter as I seem to be a bit bad about updating that one either. Soooo…FOLLOW ME!
- [Equinox] It happened. I renewed my contract with my gym (after going like 5 times in the past 6 months). But I’m determined now. I met with a Personal Trainer (complimentary) and they told me just how out of shape of was, which will hopefully kick me in the right direction. Wish me luck and make sure I go more regularly!
- [Cubbies] Still flying high in first place in the NL Central. Today we take care of the Astros 7-2, capped with an inside-the-park home run by our catcher Geovany Soto. I definitely need to find a way to make it to a couple games this year. Please take me!
- [Children's Museum] So, it seems that through my work, I get free access (along with 3 guests) to the Chicago Children’s Museum. I think it might seem a bit shady for me to walk around there taking pictures of random children, so if anyone is interested in going on a Saturday when I’m free, I’d be more than happy to get you in (…s long as you don’t mind me photographing you and your child).
- [Playoffs] I feel like I haven’t been as ‘into’ the NBA playoffs…but its reaching the end. We got Boston vs. Detroit and the Lakers vs. the Spurs. Who you got? I’m not much of a fan of any of these squads, but I think I’d like to see KG get one…he deserves it.
- [Podcasts] I have about a 45 minute trip to and from the city everyday, and so many times I try to read during the train ride, but sometimes it’s just not feasible to pull out a book. So I’ve been quite into listening to podcasts, and decided I might as well give you guys a list of a few that I listen to quite regularly (in no particular order):
- Photoshop User TV (video) – Before I even started photography, I’ve been following these guys because they provide quite of few interesting tips and tricks in using Photoshop.
- The [b] School (video) – Becker (photographer) has been putting out these video shorts in prepartion for his online [b] school for photographers. I recommend any into photography as more than just a hobby to check out these videos as he covers many things from contracts to organization and many things in between.
- Desiring God Sermon Audio - A great preacher and author in John Piper provides these sermon podcasts that are very deep and powerful. It takes a bit of focus to really understand, but its amazing and challenging to hear the passion of this man.
- A New Beginning with Greg Laurie – Pastor Greg Laurie is from California and I’ve been following his podcasts for a few years now. He has a pretty laid back approach in his preaching style, and is able to speak clearly and simply well not watering down a message.
- TEDTalks – TED stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design, and it’s been an conference that’s been held for years bringing together the greatest thinkers and doers of our age to share their knowledge. These keynotes have all been posted online, and its very inspirational. Topics can range from advancements in medical science to using the Wii as a virtual white board. It’s amazing to see the potential of our world through these talks.
- Let My People Think (RZIM) - This podcast is from Ravi Zacharias, who is one of the most powerful Christian apologist I have ever heard. His theology and explanation is extremely profound, but again requires focus to truly understand. It’s not something you can multi-task with (…at least I can’t without getting confused).
- [Jane and Alan] Last year I had the pleasure of shooting an e-session and engagement ceremony for my friend’s Jane and Alan, and this past Saturday was their wedding! I attended as a guest, but I just had to bring my camera out. I’ll post more later, but here’s a little teaser for you:
- [Nisha and Joel] For those who don’t know, my sister is getting married this summer, and so on Sunday I did an e-session with them out in Prospect Heights. Again, I’ll have a more detailed post when I process all the images, but I feel it’s only right I leave you with another teaser:
- [ICF] After the e-session, I made my way over to an alumni reunion of the Indian Christian Fellowship, which was a ministry I served in during my time at the University of Illinois. It was a great time to reconnect with many of the alumni as well as recent grads…and you guessed, more images will come later, but for now a tease:
be sure to visit the contact page if you’re looking for a chicago wedding photographer, available nationwide.
natemathai | filed under: Couples Lifestyle Sessions, Modern Events, [MNR], engagementBaby Vivek’s Baptism
- April 17, 2008 -
I posted some preview images of baby Vivek’s baptism last week, so I just wanted to get a bunch out more to you guys. Have I mentioned how much I love photographing children? Oh… Enjoy!
be sure to visit the contact page if you’re looking for a chicago wedding photographer, available nationwide.
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[04.07.08] Monday Night Recap
- April 7, 2008 -
- [Photo Challenge] The April challenge is posted here, and for those who don’t feel like clicking the link to see the theme…that’s just sad. (The theme is “symmetry”)
- [Cubbies] It’s still early, but I’m liking how they’ve played. Just won a few games (3 straight), and are now above 500 at 4-3. Keep it up, guys! Hopefully I’ll get some time this year to check out a game or so…
- [Baptism] On Saturday morning, I had the honor of photographing my cousin’s baptism. Earlier I had taken his newborn pictures, and it’s crazy to see how much he has grown since! It was also fun to see some of the family again (though the time was short). I haven’t gone through all the images, but here’s a little something-something for you:
Matt, Ravita and baby Vivek (enamored by the candles)…
Big sister Sureya (I LOVE this shot!)…
And I love this! Completely unposed. Am I the only one reminded of The Little Rascals?…
- [Bachelor Party] This weekend we had a two-day extravaganza bachelor party for my soon-to-be brother-in-law Joel, and his best friend Alan (whom I shot their engagement last year). Can’t get into too much details but it was a fun (and draining) time. We stayed at the Intercontinental Hotel on Michigan Avenue, and then had many fun filled activities through the two days. We had a little fun with some scavenger hunting-ish-ness downtown, and so I was able to get some great pics of one of my favorite things: SUN FLARE! Some people hate the high sun when they shoot, but if you know how to use light, it can be a beautiful thing!
- [NCAA Tourney] Today is the final day…and I’m still in it! This is the first time since the Illini made it the finals that I’ve had my pick for the championship game made it to the finals. And if Memphis wins, I’ll have won my pool that I had with my college friends! (And I’ll probably be in the top 5 for the other pools I was in…awesome!) I’m pretty proud of myself…but first we need Memphis to pull this out. Here’s to hoping!
- [Taxes] Just a reminder, April 15th is around the corner, so take care of everything NOW!
- [Above the Weather?] So at the end of last week, I finally got better. Than the weekend filled with non-stop activities and no sleep has left me not at my best again…so that means time for rest!
be sure to visit the contact page if you’re looking for a chicago wedding photographer, available nationwide.
natemathai | filed under: Modern Events, [MNR][03.31.08] Monday Night Recap
- March 31, 2008 -
- [Photo Challenge] So today is officially the last day for the photo challenge, but I’ll give a couple day grace period for people to send their images in. It was fun seeing the “yellow” from others perspective. In the next day or so, I’ll post the collection of images that have been sent for the first challenge (and state my ‘favorite’) as well as post the challenge for April. I’m building a new site for the photo challenge to make it easier to view the images and stay up-to-date with the challenge, but that might only be completely later in the year (I’ve got like 5 site designs/re-designs that I’m working on for the year). So if you haven’t sent it yet, SEND YOUR IMAGES NOW!
- [Under the Weather] So over the weekend I came down with a bad cold, which was terrible because I went to visit Madelyn and couldn’t hold her. I put myself on bed-rest yesterday (took a 6 hour nap), and am slowly feeling better. Because of this, I haven’t been able to do my same day / day-after photo posts, but I’ll have something at the end to get you coming back.
- [Home Opener] Today was the home opener for the Chicago Cubs, and how else would we start a season than with a rain delay followed by an extra inning loss? Zambrano pitched a great game, but I guess we just couldn’t finish. Well, it’s only 1 game in a 162-game season, so anything can happen. All this to say – I love BASEBALL!
- [JabbaWockees] As I called it, Jabba won the Best Dance Crew title (so what if all my other assumptions were wrong?). The final show was entertaining, with a great collective performance by Jabba, Kaba and Fish. I expected a much better final routine, but can’t complain…they kept me entertained all season long. I wonder what season 2 will bring- dancers on stilts? Skateboarders?
- [NCAA Tournament] For the first time in history, all four #1 teams made it to the Final Four. Impressive. And with that, there’s still a chance that I can win at least one of the pools I’m in. So this is what I need…Memphis over UCLA, Kansas over UNC (even though I had UNC in the finals for one of brackets), and Memphis winning it all. So everyone wish your good feelings on this…I think I have a free dinner riding on this!
- [Uncle Bob] The term ‘Uncle Bob’ is used among photographer’s to define that person/family member who shows up to weddings and such with their own camera, and normally hangs over the photographer’s shoulders taking all the pictures they set up and such. Now, this can pose a bit of an issue, as the people in the picture sometimes look at his camera, his flash ruins the exposure of your shots, he gets in the way of your picture, etc. Different photographers deal with it differently, and all I ask for people is to just respect the photographer. Many will let you take pictures and such, just follow their directions so that the pro’s pictures (the one the couple paid for) turn out the way they expect.
I bring this up because this past weekend was my friend’s engagement ceremony, and they hired a photographer friend of mine, Kenny Nakai, to shoot the event. At the end of it he was going through formal portraits with everyone, and I just thought it was hilarious seeing all the other cameras. He did a great job letting people get their pictures while making sure he got his as well. Normally you’re looking through your own camera and you don’t notice it, but this is what the photographer is dealing with.
And possibly my favorite…
So for all you guests at events, try to steer clear of the photographer’s way as much as possible, and for all you photographers working Indian events, get ready for 15 other photographers alongside you :)
be sure to visit the contact page if you’re looking for a chicago wedding photographer, available nationwide.
natemathai | filed under: Modern Events, Personal, [MNR]S.A.L.T.
- March 6, 2008 -
March Photo Challenge: YELLOW
(I’ll keep this info at the top of each blog post until I figure a better way to do this)
Last weekend I attended SALT (South Asian Leadership Training) hosted by Cornerstone Fellowship of UIC and Campus Crusades. It was a great time for leaders of college ministries to get together and connect and get energized to start off this semester strong. Here’s a glimpse of the event (for what I was there for), and you can view the entire gallery here.
In order to keep people from blinking, I told them all to keep there eyes closed until I counted to 3. This was when I said 2 (Can you spot who wasn’t following directions?)
And look! Nobody blinked!
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natemathai | filed under: Modern EventsDWF Bowling
- February 6, 2008 -
As promised, here are all the pics from bowling with the Chicagoland photographers from the Digital Wedding Forum at Lucky Strikes Lanes last night. Let me tell you, it’s very difficult to take photographs in a dark place like a bowling alley…but that didn’t stop us! Here’s the best I could do. I’ll give a shout-out to the photogs soon enough…for now it’s late, so NOW.
The biggest shout-out goes to the creator of it all, Jason Kaczorowski. There were two trophy winners with the highest score going to Cindy Fandl, and the lowest score to Yola (though she did strike in the 10th). Honorable mentions to everyone else! We had quite a showing with Kenny Nakai, Mr Stacey, Andy Schneider, Christian Muntean, Jay Crihfield, John Patrick, Emily DeWan, Bradley Floden, John Burdick and Jeff Lee. We also had a few fans who didn’t bowl: Vida Perez, Roger Beck, Russ Lowe, Abigail Harenberg and
Melissa Downham. It was great meeting all of you guys (hopefully I didn’t miss anyone!).
Here are just the pics for now(pardon the grain, these were shot at 3200):
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[02.04.08] Monday Night Recap
- February 5, 2008 -
Got home kinda late, but still getting the MNR up…look how dedicated I am!
- [SuperBowl] I’ll repeat what everyone else said: Boring 3 and a half quarters, and then an amazing finish! I did call it though. I said the 4th quarter would be amazing, I said Brady and the Patriots score too quickly, I said Manning was Grossman with better luck (he lofted quite a few at the end), and I called the last drive completely being Brady to Moss. I like the sound of 18-1…though I’m not a fan of of the Giants at all. Fun time watching though.
- [SuperAds] I wasn’t too impressed with any of the superbowl ads this year. I guess I was just expecting more. But this one I thought was greatly written and executed. It’s the one from Matt Hasselback…hilarious, in my eyes.
- [Lent] I barely eat enough as it is (and I get in trouble all the time for it), so sacrificing food doesn’t do much for me. But what I’m trying to do is sacrifice a bit of sleep. Hopefully this will become a habit…I’m waking trying to wake up between 6 and 6:30 everyday so I won’t be as rushed in the mornings, and do my quiet times at home instead of on the train. Wish me luck!
- [PottyTraining] Alexis was over this weekend, and she’s in the process of being potty trained…and is doing a great job (or so I’m told). It’s entertaining, because when she has to go, she stops what she’s doing and runs to the bathroom and says, ‘I’ve go that feeling.’
- [Fog] It’s crazy…I could barely see anything driving tonight. I practically got lost going to Lucky Strikes for bowling.
- [LuckyStrike] A bunch of photographers from the Chicgoland area got together tonight and went bowling at the Lucky Strike Lanes out in Lombard. It was some fun times. Mad props (yes, Mad ones..I don’t give those out all the time) go out to Jason Kazcorowski for setting this all up. You haven’t really bowled until you’ve walked towards the lane with 5 cameras pointed at you, and 3 flashes when you’re releasing the ball! People must have thought we were crazy. Sadly, I bowled one of the worst games in my life (64), and we only bowled one game. So I definitely will find some time next weekend to bowl…I don’t care if it’s by myself. I’m going to prove that I still have my 150 average…I promise! I’ll post more pics tomorrow, but here’s a glimpse:
And quite possibly my favorite shot:
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natemathai | filed under: Modern Events, Personal, [MNR]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.
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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.
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Christmas Parties (1&2)
- December 21, 2007 -
This past Wednesday I had two different Christmas parties that I was invited to: (1) my weekly small group bible study was getting together for a ‘potluck and PS3′ party in Mundelein, and (2) my college friends were having a ‘order in and talk’ party in Des Plaines. The small group one started at 7, the college one at 7:30. Impossible? Maybe for your average person, bet definitely not for ME!
I picked up my one of my roommates who would do the party crawl with me, and got to Mundelein at around 7:20. Whoever says boys don’t know how to cook is lying. We had ribs, chicken (BW3s), gyros, brats, cookies, puppy chow, punch…we FEASTED! And whoever said that boys don’t know how to talk? For the time I was there, we watched the Detroit/Boston game, and finished it off with a rousing game of Bears/Packers in PS3. (For the record, I [Bears with Orton as QB] won.) Here’s a quick collage of the event. Don’t we look fun?
We left a little later than expected, and got to the college party a little before 10. The “feasting” was much different, as we just ordered pizza (I was already stuffed anyways). It was a great time of catching up with each others lives, relationship statuses, reminiscing on the past, and so forth and so. I kept the camera down a bit and just enjoyed the conversation. Doesn’t this interaction look a little bit different than the one type above?
Different types of food, different groups of people, different conversations…but all in all, a great night. And this is just the beginning. Tomorrow I got 2 more parties (one birthday, one Christmas), then another Christmas one with the family on Sunday, followed by an extended family Christmas on Tuesday, before heading out to Michigan for my church’s winter retreat. Trying to finish the year out strong…and already getting excited for 2008. I love my life!
_______
Question: Do you like the collages better than the individual pictures?
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natemathai | filed under: Modern Events, PersonalMTC Winter Regional Conference
- October 29, 2007 -
I just wanted to get an announcement out for the 2007 Winter Regional Conference. I’ve had gone to this conference since I was 13, then stopped while I was at U of I, and am starting up again for my second straight year. We’re really excited because we’ve got 3 amazing speakers coming this year- Pastor Peter Kim from Cityview Presbyterian Church in Chicago, Pastor Dwight Yoo from Renewal Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, and Reverend Ninu Chandy, who is the Youth Chaplain of the Mar Thoma Church from the Dallas area.
The conference is in Hillsdale, MI from December 27-30th, and is an amazing time to retreat and get re-connected and re-focused before starting out the new year. I encourage you guys to really consider it if you aren’t set for any other conference this winter time. For more information and to download the registration form, go to the regionals website.
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[10.22.07] Monday Night Recap
- October 22, 2007 -
In an effort to blog more regularly, I’m going to try to instill the “Monday Night Recap” – mainly a collection of randomness that normally will encompass my weekend activities/encounters, and possibly other thoughts that come up. Hope you enjoy (…let me know if you don’t…I won’t stop, but it’s nice to get feedback :) ). Here we go…
- [UIUC] This weekend I was able to make another visit to the greatness that is the University of Illinois at Urbana, Champaign. Just like home…no matter how much things change, things just don’t seem to change. Good times.
- [REVIVAL] This would be Revival #6 for me, and yet another blessing. Initially I had hopes of grabbing some amazing shots, but I decided to just sit back and just absorb. I think CFC is the reason I’m a Canon shooter- you don’t recognize it initially, but throughout any event you’re bound to see at least 6 different people wandering around with the white L lens (I have lens envy, yes). I did grab a couple shots from my spot in the balcony though (with all the Indians, as usual). [side note: it truly is a family at CFC. It doesn't matter if you've been gone for a month, a year, or 10 years: they remember you, they are praying for you, and they welcome you.] As some subpoints, here’s a glimpse at the blessings/convictions/thoughts/etc.:
- God places you under authority to teach you to lead from your current position
- decision declaration is different than decision fulfillment
- an ungrateful heart will never see God
- sometimes all our human glory needs to be taken away from us, in order for us to know/see that His glory is all that really matters
- the Bible is not about Moses, Joseph, David, Daniel, Ruth, Paul, etc. (simple concept, yet strikingly eye-opening)
- God’s promises are based on the integrity of God; it has nothing to do with you
- trying to fulfill the law is legalistic; not fulfilling the law is rebellion; recognize that you have no control and you are utterly helpless – then let the Spirit fulfill the laws from within you (still digesting this one)
- [ICF] I still feel so old. Luckily, there weren’t as many freshmen/new faces, and I was accompanied with a couple alumn that came down.
- [Second Shooter] OK, so it wasn’t an event, nor did I hire him. But I do like the concept of having someone else get the shots you missed (or don’t feel like taking- I’ve got to enjoy posed pictures more). Oh, and this in a way signifies an acceptance of Nikon gear (not for me, but allowing others to shoot with it).
- [Bears] The first time I missed a game all year, and Griese throws for 300+ (and only 1 TD). Happy for a win, even happier that Robbie Gould was on his game (nice getting 10+ points from your kicker in fantasy; sad when that’s 20% of your total points for the week).
OK, well hopefully that was as exciting for you as it was for me. Now on to the pictures and a different style of processing for this batch (and congrats, not just the top 10, you get all 21!).
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natemathai | filed under: Modern Events, Personal, [MNR]Alyssa’s First Birthday
- October 4, 2007 -
You might remember that a short while back I shot Alyssa’s baptism. And in that short span of time, my has she grown so much! It’s amazing to see how quickly children change and grow during those years. She was up and running around the whole place during her first birthday party.
Seeing as how it was scheduled at the same time of the Bears game, I obviously arrived late. I was able to see family again, as well as witness a rousing pinata match. I don’t remember getting a pinata for my first birthday…my how things change.
Luckily I wasn’t hired as a photog for this, as I obviously wasn’t available. I was able, however, to catch just enough shots of the celebration to whet my appetite.
I guess I’ll post a shot to whet yours as well. I’m starting to dive into some ‘fine art textures’…definitely not as a standard style for me, but it’s something that always has caught my attention. It’ll take some practice to make some quality prints like some of the others, but here’s one that I put together. What do you think?
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natemathai | filed under: Modern EventsMFL
- September 23, 2007 -
It’s been a few years since I last played in this tournament. And the last time Team6 played, we were a joke. Never practiced, no jerseys, no plays…pure street. We would show up and just cause a ruckus. Sadly, we never scored a point either.
But this year, we decided to take it more seriously. We practiced, bought jerseys, ran plays…but a similar outcome. Although we didn’t advance, it was a good time playing with the guys, and just seeing some old faces again. We’re slowly gaining “respect” as a competitive team, so I guess we’re making progress.
One thing I realized, though, is it’s very difficult to photograph events when you are taking part in it. For that matter, I have have no pics from the Bonzai v. Team6 game, the Team6 v. Prairie Fire matchup, or the OPD v. Just2Tough rivalry. Oh, and I missed the finals as well, because of tiredness (obviously if it were a paid job, I’d stay the whole time). But here are some pics from the first round of the playoffs…
[oh...and I heard the Bonzai Bandits defeated OPD in the finals...so congrats to them for their continued dominance in the tournament]
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506 Reunion
- September 10, 2007 -
They say that the friends you meet in college will be the ones who are your friends for life. So far, so good.
We all entered the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign in 2002. 5 years later, we’ve separated to many different locations and futures, but each time it doesn’t feel like anything has changed in our relationship.
After a couple months, we decided to get back together before school got too crazy for a few, before another headed off to London, and after 3 just finished running the half-marathon. It was a great time to catch up with everyone, and we ended off the night a rousing game of Mafia. It’s like we were back in college on Thursday night, just chillin’ and playing cards into the night.
Well, the times were fun, and here are a few moments captured that night:
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Sijin’s 23rd Birthday
- September 9, 2007 -
23 years. It seems like just yesterday he convinced me to sneak out of 6th grade Sunday School and we joined the sophomore class (we were advancing well beyond our years). High school, and separation through college, and back again. And now 23 years. My goodness we are old. But praise God for the life he’s had- such a testimony of grace and conviction. God’s used him mightily even within the past year, and it’s only beginning. I’m looking forward to at least few more years of service with you. Press on…we might be old, be we can still ball with the best of ‘em.
And now a handful of pics from the celebration:
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natemathai | filed under: Modern Events, PersonalHarvest Fest | Cornerstone Fellowship
- September 5, 2007 -
On Labor Day, the Chicago Mar Thoma Church hosted the 2nd Annual Harvest Festival. I wasn’t really sure what to expect since I was at school last year when it was held, but I was truly amazed. The event went from around 2:00pm-10:30ish, and I only went for like the last hour (…and left early). But I was so surprised at how it was set up. Different “shops” set up in the parking lot selling Indian clothes and foods, rows and rows of people sitting in front of a man-made stage, watching various performances. Quite a sight to see. This is just a glimpse of what the church is capable of…such a picture of potential. I can only imagine the outreach that we can do in the community with events like this.
Then on Tuesday, I was able to find time to visit the UIC campus, and specifically the Cornerstone Fellowship. It has literally been about 7 years since I last went to UIC, when my sister was living there, so it took a lot out of me. It was really good seeing the ministry out there, and once again spurred my heart towards college ministry. God is working like crazy in this generation, and I’m so glad that these ministries are continuing to flourish, both at UIC and U of I. I can only imagine what God is going to do even over this next year. It blesses me to even be play a role (all be it from a distance) in campus and college ministries.
Here’s a glimpse of the past:
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Alyssa’s Baptism
- August 23, 2007 -
This past weekend I had the honor of being the photographer at my cousin’s baby’s baptism (She’s not really a niece…but the next closest thing, I guess). It’s crazy to realize how old my cousins (and myself) are getting. This ‘next generation’ just keeps growing larger and larger, and we keep getting older and older. Weird concepts.
I was attempting to shoot fully manual at this event, because it seems like the right thing to do from here on out. My goodness it’s a lot to keep track of. After a few shots at Manual, for fear of missing something good, I quickly moved back to Av and shot with comfort. I realize I’m not practicing enough in my off-time (…well, I don’t even have much ‘off-time’ right now). Starting next week I think I’m going be attaching the camera to my hip again and practice like crazy. But without further ado:
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Pallikathekathil Family Picnic
- July 29, 2007 -
Family is a vital part of life. And although all my first cousins have been in India my whole life, my extended family has been a huge source of community growing up. When I was younger we used to get together all the time, huge family parties for Birthdays, Christmas, and anything else you could think of. As my generation starting getting older, though, we had less time to meet up, and the parties were few and far between.
But now we’re starting to have that ‘next generation’ of kids coming through, and realize the importance of the family. And although I doubted it would happen so quick, within one month we were able to schedule the First Annual Pallikathekathil Family Picnic. And boy was it better than expected. It’s nice to see everyone again, and I can’t wait until next year. Here are 10 pics from the event, with the rest being viewable through picasa: http://picasaweb.google.com/nmathai84. [In case you haven't noticed, that's the way it works: 10 in the blog, the rest in the album] ENJOY!
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Sibil’s Birthday Celebration
- July 26, 2007 -
A birthday used to be a time to hang out with friends and reconnect. To laugh and eat and have an all around good time. However, it’s turned into another photo opportunity…another chance to learn and practice. This time it was understanding low-light situations (which I really didn’t understand that well, it seems). But again…another time to learn.
Oh…and a Happy Birthday to Sibil. Welcome to the ‘family’!
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MTC Summer League Photoshoot
- July 24, 2007 -
Week 3 of Summer League was my first opportunity to try out the 30D with action shots. Let me tell you, there’s a lot to learn. It was a really good experience for me to get to know the camera a lot better, and learn from my mistakes.
Summer League itself has been a great thing so far. Being the first year of trying this out, we’ve had positive reviews overall, with great competition. This really looks to be something to take off in the future years. As long as at the root of it we keep fellowship and outreach as our focus, this will continue you to be a blessing. And what’s better, my team is in the divisional finals! Normally there would be talks about how a league/tournament is rigged when the one putting it together makes it towards the end, but with the draft and all, there really is nothing to yell about. My squad isn’t the picture perfect group in any sense, but we play well as a team and get the job done. Hopefully we’ll get it done into the finals and win the whole thing this Sunday.
Again, here’s a few of the shots from day3 of the league (sorry I didn’t have the camera for day1 and day2), and the full set can be viewed either through Picasa or the Summer League website.
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MTC Car Wash Photoshoot
- July 21, 2007 -
The MTC Car Wash was my first opportunity to try out my new Canon 30D. Right now I’ve just got a 24-70mm lens, but its still better than what I’ve been using (an SD600 point and shoot). One thing I’ve noticed is that there’s a lot less ‘necessary’ post-process that I need to get done. Which just allows me to get more creative. I’m looking forward for my wide angle to come in, and will begin the savings process for a telephoto (…after I get an engagement ring, obviously).
The car wash itself wasn’t as financially productive as in the past, mainly because Maine East was having their own car wash a couple blocks away. Kind of hard for us to compete with girls in bikini’s and short shorts. But it was still fun, and were able to make some money for Praise Night. This year, the church will be hosting a Praise Night at Harper College on August 17 for $5 a person, with all proceeds (everything) going to the Navjeevan missions project in India, which works with children of women in the Red Light District in Mumbai. For us to do fund such an event, we rely on fundraisers and any donations people are willing to give. You are interested in financially supporting this year’s praise night, send me a message. (Oh, and let me know if you want to come so I can get you a ticket before they sell out).
Without much further ado, here are a few of the pics from the day, with the full set available through picasa until I figure out a better way to post (any suggestions?)…
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Chicago White Sox Photoshoot
- June 20, 2007 -
[PHOTOS CAN ONLY BE VIEWED THROUGH ORIGINAL BLOG]
It’s sort of bittersweet because I’m not a WS fan. But when the company pays for box seats and lunch and allows you to miss a day of work, why would you turn that down? It was my first time at US Cellular so it also was a good time to just wander the park with my camera. More and more I crave a dSLR…this whole saving for the future thing makes it harder. But in due time…it’ll be done. Here’s a glimpse at what my eyes could see in the White Sox lost to the Marlins.
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Alexis’ 2nd Birthday Photoshoot
- June 19, 2007 -
Two years already…it’s crazy. It’s amazing just how fast these children are growing up. Such a young age, yet you already see their preferences, their desires, their passions. Each one relates to other children and other people in different ways. I can’t really remember much from when I was too, but just looking at these little ones – I at least know that I was just as selfish then as I was now. I don’t say it in a way to fault these kids, but just stating the truth of the matter: From birth we live to please ourselves. We cling to those who give us what we want, and push those away who don’t. And unless anyone tells us otherwise, we’ll never change. But praise God for these parents. They’ve accepted the call to raise this next generation in the way of the Lord.
In about 15 years these kids will be getting ready for college. Where will they go? What impact will they make? How prepared will they be? This is the “next generation” of leaders…it’s going to be amazing watching them grow.
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