The Small Beginnings with Sara Thurman Price

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What happens when life doesn't go according to plan? Could God be working in the very details we can't see?

In this episode of Small Beginnings, Sarah shares lessons from a road trip with her husband, Earl, filled with beautiful moments, unexpected detours, and a surprising reminder of God's faithfulness.

From unexpected blessings along the way to the stressful disappearance of a bag filled with important belongings, Sarah reflects on what it means to release control, extend grace, and trust God even when the outcome is uncertain.

Rooted in Psalm 37:23–24, this episode is an invitation to slow down, embrace the journey, and remember that God delights in every detail of our lives.

Whether you're waiting for an answer, navigating an unexpected change, or believing for something you cannot yet see, be encouraged: God is with you in every step, even the unexpected ones.

Scripture: Psalm 37:23–24

In this episode: Being present in the moment, finding joy in unexpected detours, giving yourself and others grace, and trusting God's guidance when plans change.

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Have you ever prayed for something, believed it was part of God’s plan, and watched every door close?

In this heartfelt episode of Small Beginnings, Sarah Thurman Price shares her personal journey of finding love again after losing her husband of 35 years. Through seasons of grief, disappointing first dates, and unexpected turns, Sarah discovered that sometimes the doors we wish would open are the very ones we later thank God for closing.

Drawing from Proverbs 3:5–6, Sarah reminds us that trusting God doesn't mean understanding every step. It means believing in His faithfulness even when the path ahead is unclear.

Whether you're waiting for an answered prayer, navigating disappointment, or wondering what God has planned for your next chapter, this episode will encourage you to release your expectations, hold on to hope, and trust His timing.

Because a closed door doesn't mean your story is over. Sometimes it's the beginning of something you never could have imagined.

Scripture: Proverbs 3:5–6 (NLT)

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What if the moments that feel like failure are actually opportunities for God to do something greater?

Life doesn't always unfold the way we expect. Sometimes we face disappointment, unexpected challenges, or circumstances we simply cannot understand. But even in those moments, God is still working.

In this episode of Small Beginnings, Sarah shares lessons from an unexpected experience on the golf course and a much more tender season of walking alongside a dear friend facing the end of her life. Through both experiences, she's learning that joy doesn't have to depend on our circumstances and that trusting God often means surrendering our need to understand the outcome.

Drawing from Proverbs 3:5–6, Sarah encourages us to look beyond what isn't going according to plan and recognize what God may be doing right in front of us.

Whether you're facing disappointment, stepping into something new, or navigating a season of uncertainty, this episode is a reminder that you don't have to understand the whole story to trust the One who is writing it.

Sometimes victory isn't about the outcome. It's about showing up, loving the people beside us, and finding joy in God's presence along the way.

Scripture: Proverbs 3:5–6

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There’s something about a new season that makes us want to begin again.

As fall finally arrives in Texas, I’ve been thinking about the rhythms of my own life—and one small beginning Earl and I have been putting off for almost ten months.

We finally went to the gym together.

It wasn’t a huge accomplishment. We didn’t reach a big goal. We simply showed up for Day One.

And I celebrated it.

Because sometimes we’re so focused on whether we’ll finish that we forget there’s something worth celebrating about simply beginning.

Zechariah 4:10 says, “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin.”

In this episode of Small Beginnings, I’m talking about the difference between chasing big resolutions and creating rhythms we can actually live in. We’ll look at how God created life with rhythm—work and rest, planting and harvesting, morning and evening—and how a new season can be an invitation to ask:

“Lord, what rhythm do You want me to establish in this season?”

Maybe your Day One is a ten-minute walk.

Maybe it’s opening your Bible before your phone.

Maybe it’s picking up a paintbrush again, going back to church, preparing healthier meals, getting more rest, or simply making space each morning to listen for God’s voice.

Whatever it is, you don’t have to change everything at once.

Start small. Find your rhythm. Invite God into it. And celebrate the beginning.

Because every meaningful journey has a Day One—and small beginnings matter.

🎙️ Listen to this week’s episode of Small Beginnings with Sara and ask God what your Day One might be.

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What are you waiting for right now?

An answer. A breakthrough. A relationship. A child. A new opportunity. Healing. A door to open. Or maybe simply clarity about what comes next.

Waiting can be one of the hardest places to trust God because it reminds us how little we can control. But what if the waiting isn’t wasted?

In this episode of Small Beginnings, Sarah Thurman Price shares stories from her own life of waiting—for marriage, children, retirement, and love after loss—and the ways she has seen God’s timing make sense on the other side.

Together, we’ll look at what Scripture says about waiting, why sometimes God’s “wait” is actually preparation, and how we can remain faithful without trying to force what comes next.

If you’re in a season where God feels quiet or the answer seems slow, this episode is an encouragement to keep trusting. You may not be able to see the whole story yet—but God can.

“Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!” — Psalm 27:14

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Beginning is exciting. But what happens after the first step?

Last week, I shared one of my favorite scriptures, Zechariah 4:10: “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin.”

But small beginnings don’t stay beginnings forever. Eventually, they ask something more of us: consistency, courage, and the willingness to keep showing up.

In this episode of Small Beginnings, I’m sharing what God has been teaching me about being willing to be a beginner—even later in life.

After stepping outside my comfort zone in a women’s golf tournament, I found myself thinking about my own desire to succeed. When does pursuing excellence become pressure to prove ourselves? When does wanting to win keep us from enjoying the gift of simply getting to participate?

Maybe the real victory isn’t always coming in first.

Sometimes the win is that I showed up.

I was obedient.

I was courageous.

I learned something.

I kept going.

And after nearly 50 years since high school, I’m learning there is something beautiful about slowing down enough to enjoy the life God has given me—to stop and smell the roses, sit on the bench for a while, and notice the sunrise and sunset instead of always rushing toward the next accomplishment.

We’ll also talk about why our small beginnings need rhythms if they’re going to grow. Jesus Himself had rhythms of withdrawing, praying, returning, and serving. Maybe what God has begun in you doesn’t need a giant leap. Maybe it needs ten minutes every morning. One page. One walk. One prayer. One painting. One faithful step at a time.

I’m living this out again as I begin something new myself: Painting Our Prayers, a women’s Bible study where we’ll gather around the Psalms, listen for God’s voice, pray, and respond through watercolor.

Because I’m learning that we never really graduate from new beginnings.

God still speaks. He still invites us into unfamiliar places. And sometimes, He may be calling us to something creative—or even something that feels impossible.

So what is your next faithful step?

You don’t have to see the whole journey. You don’t have to be the best person in the room. And you don’t have to prove anything.

Be faithful with what God has placed in your hands, create a rhythm that makes room for it, and trust Him with the harvest.

In this episode, we’ll talk about:

• Being willing to be a beginner
• Pursuing excellence without carrying the pressure of perfection
• Why comparison can steal the joy of growth
• Creating simple rhythms for the things God is asking you to nurture
• Recognizing victories that never show up on a scoreboard
• Releasing the outcome and trusting God with the harvest
• Taking your next faithful step—even when you can’t see where it will lead

If God has been stirring something in your heart—a painting, a prayer, a book, a ministry, a business, or something you can’t quite explain yet—I hope this episode reminds you that you don’t need the whole plan.

You just need the courage to take the next faithful step.

Listen to this week’s episode of Small Beginnings with Sara Thurman Price, and if you’re ready to explore what it looks like to say yes to the creative impossible, my book Small Beginnings: A Journey to the Impossible shares more of my own journey of hearing God, beginning before I felt qualified, and discovering what He can do with one small yes.

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What if the thing God is asking you to begin feels far bigger than anything you could accomplish on your own?

I’m recording this episode from the mountains of Cloudcroft, New Mexico, a place that holds a very special piece of my story. Nearly ten years ago, while camping in this same meadow with my late husband, Wayman, I heard God tell me to write a book.

I didn’t feel like a writer. I didn’t know where to start. And I certainly couldn’t see what God could do with that one small act of obedience.

That book became Small Beginnings: A Journey to the Impossible—the first of seven books I would eventually write.

In this episode, I’m sharing what returning to this place has reminded me about hearing God, creating space to listen, carrying both gratitude and grief, and having the courage to begin before we can see the whole story.

Maybe God has placed something inside of you—a book, a painting, a ministry, a business, a song, or an idea you can’t seem to shake. Maybe He spoke it years ago and you’re wondering if you waited too long.

You don’t have to see the whole journey.

You just have to be willing to take the next step.

Zechariah 4:10 tells us, “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin.”

Not just the finished work.

The beginning.

So make some space. Quiet the noise. Ask God what He has placed inside of you—and then have the courage to begin.

And if you’re standing at the edge of your own impossible beginning, my book Small Beginnings: A Journey to the Impossible shares the story of how God called me into a creative life I never could have imagined for myself. I hope it reminds you that God still speaks, He still invites us to create with Him, and He can do more with one willing step than we could ever see from the beginning.

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What if the greatest gift God wants to give you today isn’t a solution, a breakthrough, or an answered prayer—but His presence?

In this episode, I share stories of unexpected encounters with God, from a tiny hummingbird that appeared outside my window in Cozumel to simple moments of loving and serving others. Together we'll explore how God often shows up in the ordinary, the unexpected, and the spaces we intentionally leave open for Him.

We'll talk about why slowing down matters, how God's presence often comes through people, and why creating margin in our lives allows us to recognize His fingerprints all around us.

If you've been feeling rushed, overwhelmed, or distracted, this episode is an invitation to pause, be still, and ask a simple question: "God, where are You today?"

Because wherever His presence is, there is fullness of joy.

Scriptures:

•  Psalm 16:11 
•  Psalm 46:10 
•  Matthew 25:40 
•  1 John 4:16 
•  Ephesians 5:16-17 

God is still speaking. Sometimes we just need to slow down enough to hear Him. 

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How much of your life are you actually present for?

It’s easy to physically be in one place while our minds are somewhere else—replaying yesterday, worrying about tomorrow, or rushing through today without noticing what God has placed right in front of us.

In this episode of Small Beginnings, Sarah talks about the gift of being fully present and what Scripture teaches us about releasing yesterday, trusting God with tomorrow, and receiving today.

Inspired in part by Scottie Scheffler’s approach to staying present—one shot, one moment at a time—Sarah explores what it could look like to practice that same kind of presence in our everyday lives and our walk with God.

Jesus tells us not to worry about tomorrow. He teaches us to ask for our daily bread. Scripture reminds us that God’s mercies are new every morning.

There is grace for today.
There is provision for today.
There are people to love today.
There is obedience for today.
And there is a life God has given you to actually live today.

In this episode, Sarah shares three simple practices:

Release yesterday.

Refuse to live tomorrow today.

Receive the moment in front of you.

Because you can learn from yesterday, but you can’t live there. You can prepare for tomorrow, but you can’t live there either.

The only moment you can actually receive is the one God has given you right now.

So put down the phone. Look at the person in front of you. Notice the flowers. Listen to the laughter. Feel the breeze. Pay attention to the ordinary places where God’s goodness is already meeting you.

Yesterday is in God’s hands.
Tomorrow is in God’s hands.
And today is His gift to you.

Be here for it.

Key Scriptures: Matthew 6:11, Matthew 6:34, Philippians 3:13–14, Lamentations 3:22–23, Psalm 118:24

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Is it okay to ask God for favor—not only His favor, but favor with other people?

Maybe you’re walking into an important meeting, interviewing for a job, trying to sell a house, having a difficult conversation, launching something new, or waiting for someone else’s decision to open a door.

Can you actually pray, “God, would You give me favor with this person?”

In this episode of Small Beginnings with Sarah Thurman Price, Sarah looks at what Scripture teaches about favor through the lives of Nehemiah, Joseph, Daniel, Esther, and even Jesus.

Again and again, we see God working through people to accomplish His purposes. Nehemiah needed the king to say yes. Esther needed the king to extend the scepter. Joseph was granted favor with the prison warden. Daniel received favor and compassion from an official.

But there’s an important distinction: the person was never the source. God was.

We’ll talk about what it means to ask God for favor without trying to manipulate an outcome, why God’s favor doesn’t always look like an open door, and how even a “no” can sometimes be His protection.

If you’re facing a situation that feels dependent on someone else’s response, this episode is an invitation to remember who ultimately holds the outcome.

You can ask God to go before you.
You can ask Him to prepare hearts.
You can ask Him to establish the work of your hands.
And yes—you can ask Him to give you favor with people.

“May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us.” — Psalm 90:17

In this episode:

• Is it biblical to pray for favor with another person?
• What Nehemiah teaches us about asking God for favor
• How God gave Daniel, Joseph, and Esther favor with people
• The difference between favor and popularity
• Why favor doesn’t mean every door will open
• How to pray for favor while surrendering the outcome to God
• Remembering that people may be the vessel—but God is the source

Key Scriptures:
Nehemiah 1:11
Daniel 1:9
Genesis 39:21
Esther 5:1–2
Luke 2:52
Psalm 90:17

A truth to carry with you this week:
People may be the vessel through which favor comes—but God is the source.