When I was in High School, I had my own phone line in my room (obviously before cell phones). My mom used to call me from her room and say, "Good morning. This is your wake up call!"

I believe God is saying the same thing to you right now as you read this letter. This is your wake up call. It's time to get up, get dressed, get prepared, and go for what God created you to do.

I feel compelled to tell you today that your calling is calling. There is something you are supposed to do with your life and the time to pursue it is now! I feel in my heart that God is saying, "It's time to go to another level. It's time to wake up and go for it. It's time to start thinking bigger. It's time to make a change in your life."

So many years of my life were wasted not really pursuing much of anything. I was stuck in the routine of just existing. Going to work, coming home, doing laundry, paying bills, going to work again, but not accomplishing anything significant with my life.

Have you ever felt like Job when he said, "My life drags by day after hopeless day," and "I give up; I am tired of living. Leave me alone. My life makes no sense" (Job 7:6,16). These words could have come right out my personal journals, because that's exactly how I felt at times.

I don't want each year you live to be just a repeat of the previous one. Even if the last several months have been really productive, God always expects us to do more, to reach for more, to grow, to expand and to go beyond previous barriers.

Please understand, you don't have time to waste. David wrote in Psalm 39:4: "Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered, and that my life is fleeing away." And in James 4:14 we are told that our life is like a vapor that appears for a short time. It's so true. We have to make our days count.

How do you get started if you don't hear God calling you or you don't have a clue what to do? Let me share a few of steps I've incorporated in my life.

First, I believe you have to DECIDE to answer God's calling on your life. It is a decision. And the decision is all yours. God is calling you to pursue His plan for your life, you just may not be listening or you may be ignoring it.

- Don't let your past keep you from answering the call.
- Don't let people keep you from answering the call.
- Don't let finances keep you from answering the call.
- Don't let Satan talk you out of answering the call.
- Don't let "busy-ness" keep you from answering the call.
- Don't let insecurity keep you from answering the call.

Your decision to ignore God's plan or pursue will affect you forever.

Another thing you should know if you want to fulfill the very purpose you were born for is you have to prioritize your life. And spending time with God has to be your #1 priority.

Spending time with the Lord is the very thing that has brought the most healing to my life. It's built my confidence where I was terribly insecure and inferior. It has given me courage to walk away from things that used to have such a hold on me. It has truly changed me from the inside out.

Before Jesus stepped out to pursue his earthly ministry, He spent time alone in the wilderness with God. Spending time with God is the #1 way to discover His plan for your life. And you don't have to devote an hour every morning or three hours on your knees in prayer.

When you spend even 10 uninterrupted minutes each day just to be with the Lord, but you're consistent with those 10 minutes, you will hear from God! You will gain insight and direction for your life. Consistency is the key to change.

There are things you can do today to prepare for your destiny. It's not enough just to have the desire to succeed, you must also have the desire to prepare for success.

I ought to be able to look in your house and see where your life is headed. What kind of books are you reading? What CDs are you listening to? Where is your money going? What are you doing to prepare for what you believe God has called you to do? Are you researching, attending a class, or saving money for it?

Don't get overwhelmed by my last few comments, I just want to get you thinking. In the past, I would have read something like that and felt almost hopeless because I didn't know where to start and already felt so behind. But let me tell you where to start: one day at a time. One goal at a time. You can get one faith-building CD and determine to listen to it every single day this week. You can purchase one new book and set a goal to read it this month. Do something. If you need to sign up for a class, do it. If you need to take lessons, call around today. Commit to it.

You will stand amazed at the growth, the increase, the knowledge, and the favor of God that comes on your life simply because your calling was calling and you chose to answer it.