Dr. Robert Foster has a confession: he hates “The Little Drummer Boy.”

In this special Christmas episode of the LifeWork Podcast, Dr. Stan Norman continues his conversation with Dr. Foster by uncovering a long-running (and legendary) faculty controversy. But what starts as a humorous takedown of a beloved Christmas song quickly turns into something far more meaningful.

Dr. Foster explains why fictional additions like the Little Drummer Boy often overshadow the real people God chose to highlight in the Christmas story—figures like Mary, Simeon, and Anna, whose lives were marked by obedience, waiting, hope, and faithfulness over time. Together, they explore Luke 2, the power of God’s promises kept, and why Christmas is less about noise and spectacle and more about quiet trust, delayed gratification, and hope rooted in God’s faithfulness.

This episode is both lighthearted and deeply reflective—an invitation to rediscover the wonder of Christmas by returning to the biblical story and remembering that God delivers on His promises… without a drumbeat.

What if your calling didn’t begin with a single dramatic moment—but with a lifetime of faithful work, community influence, and God quietly weaving it all together?

In this episode of the LifeWork Podcast, Dr. Stan Norman sits down with Dr. Robert Foster to explore the formative experiences that shaped his life, faith, and vocation. From growing up in a hardworking Oklahoma family, to encountering Christ at Falls Creek, to sensing a call to ministry through the steady voices of a local church community, Dr. Foster reflects on how God uses work, relationships, and lived experience to guide us toward our purpose.

Along the way, he shares stories of early jobs, influential mentors, and the churches and teachers who helped him discern God’s direction—reminding us that God wastes no life experience. This conversation is especially meaningful for students wrestling with questions of calling, ministry, and what it means to live faithfully in their life’s work.

This is part one of a two-part conversation with Dr. Foster, setting the foundation for how calling is discovered, confirmed, and lived out over time.

In Part 2, we continue Heather Parson’s incredible journey—moving from her college decision at WBU to a series of unexpected pivots that shaped her vocation.

Heather recounts choosing Williams when it made no logical sense on paper, discovering a love for finance, leading a pregnancy resource center at age 22, navigating nonprofit leadership, earning her MBA in Finance, and walking through emotionally demanding ministry roles that deepened her dependence on the Lord.

She shares the surprising way God called her into education—something she once resisted—and how He eventually led her back to Williams, where she discovered her true vocational sweet spot: teaching, mentoring, and shaping future business leaders through Christ-centered instruction.

Heather also reflects on motherhood, stewardship, and the lifelong lesson she now gives to her younger self: Trust the Lord.

If you haven’t heard Part 1 yet, go back and listen—this episode completes the story in a deeply meaningful way.