Christmas Log
by Oliver Carlos
I miss my old office at the College of Development Communication. In UPLB, each professor had a room for himself, a very large room at that, maybe 20 square meters in size. One can have a very large table, many cabinets, a coffee table and a sofa inside one’s faculty room. That was in 1999.
In my first year of teaching at DevCom, I had a roommate, Dr. Crispin C. Maslog. He has recently retired at that time but the college still wanted to have him around, so his name was still there at the door, and his things still in the room. I rarely saw him though. He was probably enjoying the life of a retiree in those days. He just dropped by once in a while, for just a few minutes, and then he would be on the go.
Dr. Maslog was a pillar, not only in the college, but also in the discipline of Development Communication. Everybody who’s into DevCom knows him- faculty, student, alumni, and stakeholder. He’s smart and creative. In fact, I consider him as the father of Facebook.
Every Christmas season, Dr. Maslog had a unique gift for his friends. He gives them his self-made newsletter. The name of the newsletter is catchy- Christmas Log. It’s actually his name- Cris Maslog! The newsletter would contain articles about what happened to him and his family members for that particular year. Some issues of Christmas Log would have news reports of his speaking engagements here and there. Some articles would be about his children’s and grandchildren’s accomplishments. Of course, there would be accompanying photographs. One would really be updated on what happened to Dr. Maslog’s life when you read his newsletter.
The Christmas Log is like the ancestor of facebook, isn’t it? Like FB, it provides readers with a gallery of “posts” or write-ups about the latest blessings and happenings in one’s life. This was in 1999, when social media was not yet existing. Long before Zuckerberg thought about facebook, Dr. Maslog was already doing it.
It’s nice to keep a logbook of the blessings we receive from God. We can always look back at our gratitude journal and see an unfailing and generous God walking with us day by day.
Older than the Christmas Log, the book of Psalms functioned in the same way. It was like an ancient facebook. In Psalm 103:2–5 (MSG) the psalmist “posted” this:
“O my soul, bless God,
don’t forget a single blessing!”
“He forgives your sins — every one.
He heals your diseases — every one.
He redeems you from hell — saves your life!
He crowns you with love and mercy — a paradise crown.
He wraps you in goodness — beauty eternal.
He renews your youth — you’re always young in his presence.”
God is indeed the giver of all the fantastic things and circumstances in our lives. Make it a habit to give him the praise and thanksgiving that he deserves, not only during Christmas time, but in all times.
