Spanish American teenager JACI VELASQUEZ has been catapulted to the top of the Christian music charts. Tony Cummings reports on her extraordinary rise to success.

What's difficult now? "Time. There is never enough time. I don't have enough time to spend with my family, and I don't have enough time to take advantage of all the opportunities that come my way. I know God does not give you something he doesn't believe you can handle, but sometimes I can't handle it. Sometimes I feel like I can't live up to the expectations are put on me. And how am I to handle that? I search myself, my strengths, who I am - not just personally, but spiritually."

Success is a good thing, of course. That's how we regard it. But specifically, what's good about this success and what's frightening? "The good thing about it is, that so many people would love to be in this place, and yet I was the one who was able to be here. The frightening thing is, I'm putting out my second album, and I'm so afraid that nobody's going to like it. I'm so afraid that I'm the only one who likes it, that people are going to be like, 'This isn't as good as the first album.' Can't you hear people saying that? I can. What's frightening about this success is I don't ever want to lose that bond with my family. And I don't want to lose myself in everything. I don't ever want to become jaded. I'm frightened of becoming jaded, and I find myself sometimes being that way. For example, I'll get roses in my dressing room. When I was opening for 4HIM, I remember I was so excited about the smallest thing. Now I get roses in my dressing room, and sometimes I don't even notice they're there. It's easy to get so jaded, and I don't ever want to be like that."

And yet, how can you cope with all the attention and all the fuss? How can you notice everything when there's so much to notice? How can you deal with it?

"I'll tell you how I'm able to deal with it. My mother travels with me. She calls me on it. If I'm trying to get to my dressing room so I can get ready, and I notice someone who wants an autograph, I may be tempted to duck. My mum calls me on it. 'Jaci', she says, 'do you remember when you used to sit there at an autograph table when you were opening for 4HIM, and you had just 5 people in your line? You were so embarrassed. Now you have these people who want to be a part of your life, and you're trying to duck.' I can't do that because it's those people who make up my ministry, who make up my career. I don't ever want to forget them. Sometimes it is hard though."

"It's a lot of pressure, but I'm very happy. All these amazing things. The second album is coming out, and it's just the coolest thing in the world. My book came out in May. I'm really happy about that because it's always been a dream of mine to write a book, and it's happened. I'm going to play music festivals this summer. I love doing summer festivals. I'm going out on tour with 4HIM, and this time I get to co-headline the tour."

After this eruption of bliss, this recitation of accomplishment and anticipation, Jaci Velasquez pauses. There is silence on the line, quiet thought. A question rises in the spring night. What if someone has not yet bought the albums, not yet listened to the concerts, not yet read the book? What if Jaci Velasquez were called on to explain her life, her message, her passion? What lies behind the career and animates her life? What is her purpose, and why is she here?

"I want to bring hope. No matter what kind of life you lead, no matter where you come from or where you're going, hope is there, waiting for you."