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Bobbie Wolgemuth

Bobbie Wolgemuth has been in the mothering business for over thirty years, raising two daughters to adulthood, and is the grandmother of five. She has been singing hymns since childhood and has performed internationally. Bobbie is a co-author of the Great Hymns of Our Faith series with her husband, Robert, Joni Eareckson Tada, and John MacArthur (Crossway). Her other books include With Love from Mom and The Most Important Year in a Woman’s Life. Here is an interview with Bobbie about Hymns for a Kid’s Heart, Vol. 1:

1. Where did the idea for Hymns for a Kid’s Heart originate? How did you come to partner with Joni Eareckson Tada?

Joni and I have been friends for a long time through our contact in the publishing world. We clicked as soul sisters when we discovered that we both passionately enjoy hymns. For years we have sung in parking lots of restaurants after dinner, in the van as we traveled, in good times strolling down the halls of a conference, or in times of loss and physical pain. Many times over the phone when Joni calls, she’ll ask, “What’s our hymn for today?” We’ve even enjoyed “Christmas-caroling” over the phone lines, singing parts and feeling festive and close, even though we’re separated. She’s in California and I’m in Florida, but we feel as close as next door neighbors because our hearts intertwine with the music and the lyrics we love as we rejoice together around Jesus.

2. In the introduction to the book, you explain the relationship between music and memory-making by telling stories. Tell us a story about one hymn that has been meaningful to you.

It has been great fun to see the children in my neighborhood come alive when I teach them hymns. The young girl next door is named Grace, and she lost her mother in a plane crash when she was in grade school. I invited her over one day for a tea party and said, “There is a song I’d like to teach you that has your name in it.” She was on the sofa next to me and I first read the story to her about the little boy who grew up to write the song “Amazing Grace.” John Newton was the boy who would sit on his mother’s lap as she read the Bible to him, but when he was only seven, his mother died. The story was especially interesting to Grace and she liked the pictures. She listened as I read about how God changed John Newton’s heart and literally used him to change history and stop the slave trading in England.

3. You write, “Somewhere, somehow there’s a little moment waiting for you to use to teach a child a hymn.”  How can a parent recognize such a moment?

Time and tenderness are the triggers for finding a teachable moment. You can tell when there is a moment of boredom or quietness with a child. It can be while you’re chopping vegetables for dinner or mixing cookie batter. Singing and listening don’t always mean you have to stop doing everything else. It’s always good to take the initiative to fill the moment with something that will last.

4. The hymns included in your books are treasured by so many Christians around the world, but relatively few know the stories of their authors. Introduce us to one of those authors.

One of the authors, Frances Havergal (1836-1878), was a happy girl who liked to pray for other people. She wrote “Take My Life and Let It Be” after a visit with several people who were “not rejoicers.” Frances prayed for the people to become happy in Jesus. Frances was kind and helpful to the sad people. Her prayers were answered. Nearly every guest on her visit was changed in faith or in attitude before Frances left the holiday. The girl in the story was so glad that she couldn’t sleep. It was during the night that the Lord poured all the words to the hymn into her mind.