I hope you have a great year in 2011! But if you are actually going to have a truly great year in 2011, it will be because you have a lot of good individual days in 2011. I know that might sound too obvious to warrant mentioning; however, sometimes we need to be reminded that today matters. If we want to position ourselves for a wonderful 2011–and ultimately for a wonderful life–then it matters that we connect with God, love our loved ones, honor our employers, and pay attention to our priorities. Far too often, life gets lived by accident when God’s desire is that we would view each day as a gift from Him and live it intentionally.

Jim Elliot (who was a missionary in Ecuador before his martyrdom in 1956) said it this way: “Wherever you are, be all there. Live every day to the hilt.” By following his advice and consistently doing our best to love, honor, and serve God today, we will be able to say with Jesus that we have done “the will of Him who sent me.” (John 6:38)