On a friend’s Starbucks cup recently there was a great quote about heaven that I’m planning to use in Sunday’s sermon. Starbucks maintains a collection on their website of their recent coffee cup quotes. I waded through a few of them this morning and found three extra-good ones about children:

“Do not kiss your children so they will kiss you back but so they will kiss their children, and their children’s children.” Noah benShea, Poet, philosopher and author… Great advice for parents who love with strings attached.

Maybe you’ve heard of the “One Laptop Per Child” initiative, which aims to give every kid in the world a cheap, basic laptop. In response, Colin Powell says: “All children need a laptop. Not a computer, but a human laptop. Moms, Dads, Grannies and Grandpas, Aunts, Uncles – someone to hold them, read to them, teach them. Loved ones who will embrace them and pass on the experience, rituals and knowledge of a hundred previous generations. Loved ones who will pass to the next generation their expectations of them, their hopes, and their dreams.”

And then, this bit of sage cynicism: “Give me world politics, gender politics, party politics or small-town politics … I’ll take them all over the politics of youth sports.” Brenda Stonecipher, City council member and Starbucks customer in Everett, Washington.