TODAY IN HISTORY-WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 23, 2011

Today is Wednesday, Feb. 23, the 54th day of 2011. There are 311 days left in the year.

Today in History: Highlight in History: On Feb. 23, 1945, U.S. Marines on Iwo Jima captured Mount Suribachi and raised the American flag. The moment was captured in a Pulitzer Prize winning photo by AP photographer Joe Rosenthal. AP Photo/Joe Rosenthal
On this date in: 1685 Composer George Frideric Handel was born in Germany. 1822 Boston was granted a charter to incorporate as a city. 1836 The siege of the Alamo began in San Antonio, Texas. 1847 U.S. troops under Gen. Zachary Taylor defeated Mexican general Santa Anna at the Battle of Buena Vista in Mexico. 1848 John Quincy Adams, the sixth president of the United States, died at age 80 in Washington, D.C., two days after suffering a stroke on the floor of the House of Representatives. 1861 President-elect Abraham Lincoln arrived secretly in Washington to take office after an assassination plot was foiled in Baltimore. 1870 Mississippi was readmitted to the Union. 1954 The first mass inoculation of children against polio with the Salk vaccine began, in Pittsburgh. 1965 Stan Laurel of the comedy team Laurel and Hardy died at age 74. 1991 President George H.W. Bush announced that the allied ground offensive against Iraqi forces had begun. 1997 Scientists in Scotland announced they had cloned an adult mammal, producing a lamb named Dolly. 1999 A jury in Jasper, Texas, convicted white supremacist John William King of murder in the dragging death of an African-American man, James Byrd Jr. 2000 Carlos Santana won eight Grammy Awards for his album "Supernatural," tying the record set by Michael Jackson in 1983 for "Thriller." 2003 Norah Jones won five Grammy Awards for the album "Come Away With Me."		Today's Birthdays: Actress Emily Blunt turns 28 years old today. AP Photo/Dan Steinberg Name Profession Age Peter Fonda Actor, director 71 Fred Biletnikoff Football Hall of Famer 68 Johnny Winter Rock singer 67 Allan Boesak South African activist 66 Patricia Richardson Actress ("Home Improvement") 60 Brad Whitford Rock musician (Aerosmith) 59 Viktor Yushchenko Former president of Ukraine 57 Howard Jones Rock singer 57 Kristin Davis Actress ("Sex and the City") 46 Actress Dakota Fanning turns 17 years old today. AP Photo/Peter Kramer

Thought for Today: "The essential conditions of everything you do must be choice, love, passion." — Nadia Boulanger, French composer and teacher (1887-1979).

“A Prayer For A Heart Of Gratitude”

Father, my blessings come from a variety of sources, but they originate from Your generous and loving interest on my behalf.  You love to give!  In fact, You gave the ultimate gift in the sacrifice of Your Son who took the penalty for my sins.  When I consider the blessings of family, friends, work, food, and other daily comforts it stirs up a heart of gratitude. Help me to overflow in thanksgiving so that it spills out to those around me, even in the midst of hardship or devastation.  When the “norm” of life is turned upside down I, in faith, look more to You and can find blessings that I hadn’t considered on a normal day.  Help my brothers and sisters in the city of Christchurch as they recover from the recent destructive earthquake.  So much of our time, money and attention is given to maintaining buildings, programs and otherwise but when a community is stripped of these seeming essentials it is then that we more fully invest in one another’s lives and their critical needs.  Bless, protect and guide the relief workers I pray.  In the name of Jesus I praise and thank You,  Amen.