One week, it was my turn to give the message the following Sunday, so I went outside and found a pretty spot on a hill in the shade where I could spend some time preparing.

I started by praying and singing a couple of worship songs and then started organizing my thoughts.

finding good Bible verses to use. I decided to talk about how Christians should abide constantly in God’s presence for a variety of reasons, including that abiding in God’s presence gives us joy, peace, and refreshment.

As I sat there, spending time with God, I felt more and more refreshed by His presence and was encouraged to make it a goal to set aside an hour or so every weekend during school in which to spend time alone with God.

Nikaela G., Mount Rushmore National Memorial, 2014 & 2015