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.

In Part 1 of this two-episode conversation, host Dr. Stan Norman sits down with Heather Parson—Assistant Professor of Business and Chair of the Department of Business at Williams Baptist University—to explore the remarkable story behind her calling.

Heather opens up about growing up in an agricultural community, her father’s near-death accident, years of financial hardship, and the ways God provided through the kindness of His people. She reflects on working from a young age, the pivotal educators who redirected her life, and the seeds of faith planted long before she fully understood God’s plan.

This episode traces the foundations of Heather’s spiritual journey—one marked by resilience, providence, and a God who was “never early but always on time.”
A powerful beginning to a story that reveals how the Lord uses every chapter to shape a life of purpose.

In part two of our conversation, Dr. Ruth Provost returns to the Lifework Podcast to look more closely at her vocational journey—especially how God led her back to Williams and ultimately into academic leadership.

Host Dr. Stan Norman asks Ruth to unpack the “heavenly call” that accompanied an unexpected job offer, the holy restlessness that marked much of her young adulthood, and the incredible peace she experienced when she finally arrived at the place God intended to be her home.

Dr. Provost shares the internal wrestling she felt when first encouraged to apply for the position of Academic Dean, the wise counsel that confirmed God’s leading, and how surrendering her will opened the door to a new season of joyful, meaningful work.

Drawing on insights from The Gospel at Work and her own years of mentoring students, she offers practical wisdom for anyone struggling with questions of calling: how to discern God’s prompting, how to take faithful next steps, and how to trust that God wastes no life experience.

A thoughtful, encouraging episode for students, leaders, and anyone learning to follow God’s direction with open hands.

In this deeply personal episode of the Lifework Podcast, host Dr. Stan Norman sits down with Dr. Ruth Provost, Vice President for Academic Affairs at Williams Baptist University, to explore the surprising and Spirit-led journey that shaped her calling.

Dr. Provost shares her remarkable upbringing as a missionary kid in Yemen, Cyprus, and Jordan—where faith was lived out through quiet service, compassionate action, and the simple witness of love. She reflects on homeschooling in the Middle East, attending boarding school in Germany, her unexpected shift from English major to psychology, and the moment she discovered her “thing”: teaching.

With warmth and humility, she unpacks how God used her parents, her passions, and her unique life experiences to direct her steps—even when she didn’t know where “home” really was. This episode offers a powerful reminder that God shapes our vocation through every chapter of our story, and that obedience—one step at a time—reveals His faithfulness.

A rich conversation for anyone discerning calling, identity, and direction.

In part two, Dr. Broussard opens up about the night everything changed — when a revival led him to true faith in Christ and a deeper calling to serve through music and teaching. Hear how God transformed his life and vocation, leading him from the choir loft to the classroom, and why he believes that all meaningful work begins with surrender.

In part one of this two-part conversation, Dr. Stan Norman talks with Dr. Trent Broussard, Chair of Fine Arts and Director of Choral Activities at Williams Baptist University. From his childhood in Fort Smith to discovering his love for music, Dr. Broussard shares how his parents’ work ethic and a heart for song shaped his understanding of calling, character, and the joy of doing work that glorifies God.