Ten-times-out-of-ten I go to Rugged Elegance Select Establishment, Peet's Coffee & Tea in the a.m., after taking the girls to school and then working out. However this morning, I happened to be at KGO-TV where Emmy Award-winning tv and radio reporter and Consumer Confidential author, Michael Finney was giving a personal tour of ABC's studio to a group of San Francisco 2nd Graders. Michael's wife, Brenda was gracious enough to provide coffee and Noah's bagels for the chaperones. The coffee she served was from Starbucks.

Until today, die-hard Peets fans like me called Starbucks, "The Evil Empire." However, this morning I must change my tune.

The coffeemaker, which calls itself the premier purveyor of the finest java in the world, may have cornered the coffee market in nearly every major city -- save perhaps Israel.

Yes, they've now got airport stores, music bars, urban coffee shops, and drive-through-windows.

What they also now have is soul.

And I'm not just talking about the fabulous Hear Music CDs you can buy at Starbucks. (I think I have every one.)

Or the Starbucks store located in Seoul, Korea.

I'm talking about God-inspired messages printed on coffee cups.

Of course, these are in addition to quotes already being printed from new age authors, rap artists, jazz geniuses and other inspirational types.

As I finished my cup of Kenyan coffee at KGO, I couldn't help but look for the message on my cup, after learning that the company is printing sixty-three quotes from writers, scientists, musicians, athletes, politicians and cultural icons, including scriptural messages by one of America's preeminent Christian thought-leaders, Reverend Rick Warren.

I was hoping to discover a reflection from Warren, the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California. Warren is also the author of wildly successful, New York Times best-selling book called The Purpose-Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For?, which twelve of us from San Francisco's City Church studied last spring.

However, like the Bazooka Gum wrappers I'd look forward to reading as a kid, my adult "siren song" indulgence from Starbucks would not be by Warren, at least not today.

However, on Tuesday, October 18th 2005, Starbucks spokeswoman Sanja Gould did confirm that Reverend Warren's inspirational quotes would be printed on their cups of java and other drinks in the future.

The mermaid cup I got today had a message written on it by James Brown, the Emmy-winning sports broadcaster and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday.

Quote #58

Brown's Quote #58 of sixty-three said:

I have faith. Faith in our wondrous capacity for hope and good, love and trust, healing and forgiveness. Faith in the blessing of our infinite ability to wonder, question, pray, feel, think, and learn. I have faith. Faith in the infinite possibilities of the human spirit.

The Way I See It

The series of messages is part of a campaign called "The Way I See It." The purpose is to offer up a jolt of caffeine together with a collection of thoughts, opinions and expressions provided by notable figures.

The quotes usually promote living a better, more thoughtful, or active lifestyle.

Starbucks' hope is that they will spark conversation.

Each quote does not necessarily reflect the views of the company. In fact, that is stated on each cup.

All of the quotes are provocative.

Audrey Lincoff, a spokeswoman for Starbucks said:

"The Way I See It" campaign does not set out to take a political stand but rather to encourage discourse.

If you think back to the history of the old coffee houses, before the Internet, these were places to converse.

That's part of what the coffee culture has been for a century or more.

"Embracing diversity and treating people with dignity is one of the guiding principles of our corporation," she said.

In addition to Reverend Warren, some of the other "Way I See It" Starbucks authors include:

Rita Golden Gelman, author of "Tales of a Female Nomad: Living at Large in the World" and

Noah benShea, poet, philosopher and author of "Great Quotes to Inspire Great Teachers" among many other books.

I love benShea's Starbucks quote.

He says:

Do not kiss your children so they will kiss you back but so they will kiss their children.

Bill Brummel, documentary filmmaker focused on human rights issues, has Quote #61.

Brummel writes:

Imagine we are all the same. Imagine we agree about politics, religion and morality. Imagine we like the same types of music, art, food and coffee. Imagine we all look alike. Sound boring? Differences need not divide us. Embrace diversity. Dignity is everyone's human right.

Other current contributors include:

Julian Bond

Po Bronson

Deepak Chopra

Jennifer Corriero

David Cross

Chuck D

Morris Dees, Civil rights leader and co-founder of the Southern Poverty Law Center

Alison Dunlap, World champion cyclist & two-time Olympian for the U.S. Cycling Team

Dr. Sylvia Earle, Oceanographer & Nat'l Geographic Explorer-in-Residence

Mike Fay

Jonah Goldberg, Editor-at-Large of "National Review Online"

Rita Golden Gelman

Nikki Giovanni, poet

Denis Hayes, Chairman of the Earth Day Network and longtime environmental advocate

Quincy Jones, artist extraordinaire

Michelle Kwan, ice skating champion

Shelby Lynne, musician

Wynton Marsalis, jazz artist

Armistead Maupin, author of the "Tales of the City" series & the novel "The Night Listener"

Michael Medved, radio talk show host, author of "Right Turns", "Saving Childhood" and "Hollywood vs. America"

Thomas McGuane

Moby, musician

Arte Moreno

Anna Olson

Virginia Postrel, author of "The Substance of Style : How the Rise of Aesthetic Value Is Remaking Commerce, Culture, and Consciousness" and a columnist for The New York Times

Alice Randall

Andy Roddick, tennis champion

Jill Scott

Bill Taylor

Rufus Wainwright

Ethan Watters

John Wooden

Starbucks customers are invited to share submissions with the company. One customer who did just that is Tiana Tozer, 1992 Paralympic Silver Medalist and 1996 Paralympic Bronze Medalist Women's Wheelchair Basketball from Portland, Oregon.

She said something my mother used to tell me all the time as a kid:

They told you that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. What they failed to tell you is that it is best seen with the eyes closed. What you look like isn't important. What is important is who you are inside and the choices you are making in your life.

The last quote in the current series of sixty-three is by Arte Moreno, the first Hispanic owner of a major league baseball team.

Moreno writes in Quote #63:

Our lives are inspired by the dreams we have from the earliest stages of our youth. When you combine passion and hard work, then success is always possible. While no road is ever straight, dedication and persistence will always lead you to your dreams.

For further inspiration, go to your local Starbucks. There is likely one just around the corner.

Or, if you've already had your cup of java today, you can visit:

Hit reload or "next" and you'll get a new quote every time. Unless you hit the reload button more than sixty-three times.

If you do that, it's time to lay off the coffee until tomorrow.

Or switch to their Strawberry Frappuccino, which is one of my kids' favorite treats.

If it's after 5, you might want to try Starbucks new Cream Liqueur with a shot of Jim Beam in it.

You won't find it in a Starbucks store.

And it'll cost you more than twenty bucks for a 750ml bottle.

Buy sixty-three cups at your nearest Starbucks with all of the current quotes on them, and you won't find Rick Warren's reflections, yet.

Look for "purpose driven" quotes this coming spring.

Inspire & Be Inspired.

Here's to healthy, adventuresome, soulful, "pouring your heart and soul into it" living!

~ Jennifer Carolyn King, Rugged Elegance, LLC