Rory Feek’s The Cow Said Neigh!

From wanting someone else’s talents to another person’s lifestyle, it is easy to fall into the comparison trap. It often starts out as an innocent thought but then culminates into envy. And sometimes that envy can even cause us to sin. Being envious is not age exclusive. It affects toddlers, teenagers and even those in their twilight years. Rather than compare ourselves to one another, it is important to walk in the gifts and abilities God has given each of us. The book, The Cow Said Neigh!is a great way to talk about this topic with children.

From New York Times bestseller Rory Feek, one half of the singing duo Joey+Rory, comes The Cow Said Neigh!, a fun and humorous tale of farm animals who wish they were like the other animals . . . which leads to a farm-full of confusion!

The Cow Said Neigh! is the story of some peculiar farm animals who wish they were like other animals on the farm. The cow wants to run free like a horse, the sheep wants a snout like a pig, the dog wants to be inside like the cat. Soon the entire farm is in chaos! With silly farm animal sounds, clever rhymes, and adorable art, The Cow Said Neigh! will have kids of all ages laughing out loud as they celebrate the unique strengths in each of us.

Win a copy of The Cow Said Neigh! here: https://www.blessedfreebies.com/the-cow-said-neigh.html

“For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. ⁴ For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, ⁵ so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. ⁶ We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your^[a]faith; ⁷ if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach;  if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead,^[b] do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully. Romans 12:3-8

Risen Reflections

Celebrate others. Take time this week to encourage someone that you interact with on a daily basis. It could be your child, a co-worker, classmate or neighbor. Pray and ask God how you can encourage them and what to say. It could be a written note or through a conversation. Share with them an example of how their gift, talent or character has impacted you or someone you know. Another fun thing to do in your family, group of friends, department at work or small group is to take a piece of paper. Have everyone write their name at the top. Then rotate papers. Each person writes one thing they appreciate about the person whose name is at the top of the paper. Continue to rotate until everyone has had a chance to write done something for each person in the room or team. Have the people read their sheets over. Then encourage them to put them in a place where they can see it daily.

Walk in your gifts. God has given each of us a unique set of gifts and talents that He wants us to use to glorify His kingdom. If you don’t know what your gifts and talents are, that is okay! Take time to figure out what they are. Many churches offer spiritual gifts tests or classes that help you figure out what your gifts are. It can also be helpful to ask a group of friends that know you to give you some feedback and insight. Ask God to show you how you can be using your gifts for His glory.

Stop comparing. It can be difficult to not compare ourselves to others. One thing that helps is developing an attitude of gratitude. Take an hour this week and write down everything that you are thankful for. Be specific. If you need help ask a close friend to sit down with you. You can each write down what you are thankful for and share it with one another. Ask for feedback to see if you missed anything. Sometimes it can help having an outsiders’ perspective on some of the things that we should be thankful for. When you get that feeling of wanting something more or comparison, take your list out and remind yourself of all the things that you are thankful for.

We were given copy of The Cow Said Neigh! by Frontgate Media, all of our thoughts and opinions are our own.