O.k. Different school than I had in mind but know what you are referring to.

I recall one or two businesses in Lebanon that were owned or named “Dunn.” Maybe an insurance company?

I don’t want to go on at length discussing Lebanon/Waynesville area in this forum, because it’s not pertinent to most of the readers of this blog. But if you’re ever in a mood to chat with someone from your home area, feel free to email. I’ve not lived in that area for nearly 30 years, but it’s fun to reminisce.

More importantly, your project sounds fascinating.

And some ot those who “hear His Voice” and “sense His Presence” 24/7 make me think I’ve just stepped into a bad Star Wars prequel or Call of Cthulhu game. Remember Tatted Todd (and his pet angel Emma)? Tokin-the-Ghost Crowder (Yoing! Yoing! Yoing!)? Both claimed to take their marching orders from God’s Voice.

These various ’spiritual experiences’ are not what makes someone a Christian.

On my end, I’ve never had any of those Deep Spiritual Experiences like God’s Favorite Pets. (If I had, they sure weren’t obvious and/or I was too clueless to notice.)

All that crap that you listed as supposed proof of a relationship w/ God is baloney. They are phony hoops set up by people who are unsure themselves.

As someone who has also been on the receiving end of “all that crap that you listed”, I’d use a word a little stronger than “Baloney”. Especially when “Can you top this?” comes into play with the “proofs”. Or a Ressegue Regression, where no matter what proof you come up with, they find a way to tear it — and you — down. Remember the Book of Job, with Job’s know-it-all friends/counselors?

The magic cure-alls told to me were more like “Thirty Minutes Alone With The LOORD (i.e. Bible Study) Each And Every Morning!” or “Five Fast Praise-the-LOORDs!” (“Lord” pronounced as if with two O’s.) Other cure-alls for what you had are Speaking in Tongues (Pentecostals), Parsing Your Theology Correctly Just Like Me (Truly Reformed), and Young Earth Creationism Uber Alles (Answers in Genesis).

Pat answers, Glib Spriitual (TM) answers, belittiling answers, veiled putdowns in a game of “More Spiritual Than Thou” One-Upmanship. Parroted and duckspoken to those who are genuinely hurting.

Never mind punching them in the throat — “Give ‘em that Christian Sack Tap!” is reserved for such as these. They’ll even get something out of it — claim Persecution (TM) and feel even better about themselves.

A BIG TIGHT HUG.

I don’t have any sure fire techniques. You know that they don’t work.

I don’t know why some of us have a greater sense of God, than others. Take my word for it, sometimes I’ve gotten spooked BIG time by Him. I also tend to feel comfortable enough to scream and shout at God.

A few suggestions, that might help,especially if you are like me, an introvert.

Talk to God in the shower, not any long prayers, but short ones. Just like you are talking to a friend.

Find a pretty place where you can be alone, and just sit and rest there.

You mention reading your Bible daily, have you tried something like the Liturgy of the Hours? They combine some Scripture, some prayers and some quietness. You might want to get your feet wet with “Daily Prayers for Busy People” by William O’Malley

I’ve been pondering your posts. I know exactly how it feels when you’re trying to get in touch with God, and it just seems like something’s broken. I’ve been in that same dark place you find yourselves, and I expect to find myself there again. I don’t know the answers, but I have grown from it.

What I can say to encourage you is that there’s nothing wrong with you. This is the experience of faith, and it’s one we share with every disciple throughout the Bible. But just as it was with them, God will not be silent with you forever.

Also, try to resist the temptation to evaluate your own faith journey based on what you see of others. There have been plenty of times I’ve seen people confidently proclaiming some message God gave them, and thought, “What’s wrong with me that I don’t have that kind of faith?”…Then a few months down the road, the “vision” that “God revealed to them” doesn’t materialize. There are plenty of times that the people who don’t hear the music and think the dancers are insane ARE RIGHT!

Another thought… God doesn’t speak to people in the Bible about trivial things. No, when God calls an audible, it’s not something you want to hear. It’s usually something like, “Hey Moses, I want you to go to the most powerful man in the world and tell him I’m going to punish him if he doesn’t liberate his workforce….Trust me, you’ll be alright.” Or how about, “Hey Ananias, you know that guy who’s been hunting down Christians and having them stoned to death? Yeah. Go find him, tell him you’re a Christian, and take him to your house.” Or maybe, “Hey Jonah, go tell those Ninevites I’m going to destroy their city if they don’t get their act together…Don’t pay any attention to all that stuff about them torturing and killing people. You’ll be fine!” – God speaks to people to tell them to go do something that could get them killed. So, be careful what you ask for.

I think the way God reveals himself to me is by helping me see myself as I am, not how I think I am. I’m working on praying honest prayers; not trying to disguise my true feelings with rationalizations. When I start praying things like, “I deserve better. God, you’re not being fair. Following you is no fun,” I start to realize how childish and selfish I really am, and that’s where Christ steps in. He reminds me that I am loved without deserving it, as I am, not as I should be. There’s a lot of pride that has to get pushed out of the way before I can pray those primal, selfish, honest prayers. But that has been the path that has led me out of that dark valley. Maybe I could say, pray until you see how silly your prayers are.

Hopefully something in there will be encouraging and helpful.