For next 2 hours, I searched in vain for Philip. He was nowhere to be found in that hospital. I was beginning to think I was in wrong hospital. Then, fortunately for me, I remembered that although everyone called him Philip, it was his middle name. His first name was Michael.

It is amazing how using right name opens up all right doors. In a few minutes, I had located ever-elusive Michael Philip Jones. He was in room 622 and I spent a few minutes with him reading some scripture and then had a time of prayer with him.

Walking out Philip quietly said, “Thanks, pastor, you’ll never know what this means to me.” This is usually all gratification a pastor really needs.

I left Philip’s room with a marvelous feeling of accomplishment and headed for parking lot and my car. Pulling out of hospital parking lot that old nagging feeling returned. I could not for life of me figure out what I was missing. I just knew it was something.

As I pulled into my driveway, I glanced at my watch. It was just a little after 7:30. Reaching for door to exit car, it finally dawned on me what I had forgotten. The ice cream cake. There it was on front seat and I noticed around one corner there was some leakage. I opened lid and, as I thought, ice cream cake was completely melted with tiny bits of colored icing floating on top. The ice cream cake had been in my hot car for almost 2½ hours.

The inevitable had become uneatable.

Carefully, so not to spill anything on my car seat, I carried thawed ice cream cake surprise, into my wife who thought it funniest thing she had seen in a lifetime.

Intentions are good, even those that do not turn out as expected. It truly is thought that counts in many cases.

Putting her resourceful mind to task, Mistress of Parsonage pulled this disaster out of proverbial dumpster and rescued evening as only she could. The incident reminded me of what Paul, Apostle said. "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (Philippians 4:13 KJV). If you don’t give in or give up, there is always a solution to every quandary.

Romance is two people in love with two straws sipping liquefied ice cream cake out of same box by light of flickering candles. Romance is not defined in a day or even an incident, but a relationship that endures these things and more.

Much more.

For those of you who like something a touch more radical or ribald, why not try these on for size (courtesy of "Strange Brew Random Beer Name Generator"):

· Flying Squirrel-Pinto Stout · Frisky Ardvaark Gueuze · Dirty Deer Doppleback · Grunting Jellyfish Pale Ale · Moose-Monk Extra Special Bitter · Sloshed Wombat Stout · Sub-Atomic Wit Brown Ale · Succulent Groundhog Day Golden Altbier

And as every “victualer” knows, you will certainly need a nifty name for your tacky tavern besides, “Stickey Wicket Pub”, “Waddling Dog” or “Toad-in-the-Hole” (which are already taken). So if you’re leisure-challenged like I am, you might want to have a wee peek at "Random Tavern Name Generator". You might not like "Tippling Twitmeister Taproom" but perhaps one of following gems might strike your fancy:

· Berserk Knave Hall · Cheerful Hippogriff Pub · Fiery Grog Cellar · Giggling Gryphon Guesthouse · Toothless Taproom · Twin Heretic Tavern

So, as they say in sci-fi movies, “May Force Be With You”, as you drive home tonight with help of a trusty taxi coupon or a designated driving dude/damsel.

__________

The sub-atomic pale-alers among us may want to visit “Strange Brew” website for more than 27,703,620 possible new brew names to print on those ultra-cheap “u-brew self-adhesive labels”, http://www.strangebrew.ca/beername.php.

And do drop by one of my favorite hop spots on Net -- The Big Rock Beer folks in Calagary, Alberta at http://www.bigrockbeer.com

For those of you who want to check out 59,980 possible pub names – please consult “Random Tavern Name Generator”, at : http://www.paper-dragon.com/fantasyland/tavernnamegen.html

Should any of you wish to pay an impromptu visit to fair city of Victoria, BC (Canada), why not book ahead and go to "Great Canadian Beer Festival" held each year in early September http://www.gcbf.com