“Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins.If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined.No , they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.” — Matthew 9:17 (NIV) Is God Calling Us to Change? If you’re walking through estrangement, you already know what it means to be broken open. You’ve felt the tearing, the stretching, and the ache of something that once felt full—now emptied. But what if that emptiness is

Stretching the Edges of Capacity By Crystal McDaniel – Strangely Estranged Blog Stretching the Edges of Capacity There are seasons in life when growth feels like expansion—like our hearts and minds are being stretched in ways we never imagined possible. We read the books, pray the prayers, do the therapy, and lean into the lessons. We keep saying yes to growth, because somewhere deep down, we know staying the same costs more than the pain of stretching. But what happens when

t has almost been two years since I’ve spoken to my estranged adult daughter. Just typing that sentence brings a lump to my throat. It’s...

The Pit of Despair, from the Movie, "The Princess Bride." The beginning of the description of what is going to happen to Wesley, in the...

Before, After, and Today...Mount St. Helen, the terrain change after the explosion, and the beauty that has come afterwards When Mount...

this is my estrangement Motto When people ask me about my journey through estrangement from my adult daughter, I often find myself...

Inspirational Scripture with a Heart, This photo is the very description of what this blog is about. Search Me, O God: Owning My Role in...

Two People Pull a rope in the opposite direction. A Tug-O-War Being estranged from my adult child has created a pain unlike anything...

My friend and colleague, Marilia Zandrandi As I sit in the Milan-Malpensa Airport, soaking in the last few moments before I board my...

Person with a scar on their back Dragged Through Hell by Estrangement: Finding Strength in Every Scar I never imagined that one day I...

This is an image of stale bread, and it represent estrangement and staying in the past. The Power of Distance I boarded the plane to...

My group of singer friends after our first show There’s something about standing on a stage in a foreign land, singing your heart out,...

Estrangement is a word that carries so much weight, yet often floats around in whispers. For many of us, it’s a quiet grief we carry in...

Estrangement from an adult child is a quiet kind of heartbreak.   It doesn’t make headlines. It doesn’t show up in the family photo...

Empty bird's nest with a "Vacant" note, symbolizing an open house in nature. I think people try to relate by comparing estrangement to...

Estrangement...Blue Closed Doors, Surrounded by a marble arch. It looks like doors to an inner fortress. Estrangement is one of those...

This book is excellent, and gives a different perspective from someone who was parentally estranged. This is the front cover of the book...

Estrangement...Feels like the sun is setting on your heart, and will never rise again. I never imagined I’d be writing about estrangement...

This is image is the perfect description of what I go through during this estrangement. By Crystal McDaniel | Strangely Estranged ...

Estrangement...My Car is moving forward into an unknown area. 🚗 When You’re the Mom in the Passenger Seat of Estrangement I never...