Pieces of You

November 14, 2024

Pieces of You

PIECES OF YOU

April Farlow

GENRE: Christian Living

BLURB:

Knowing who you are has always been challenging, and in today’s world, more and more voices are coming from more and more places telling us who we should be. The result? A broken sense of identity that we’re struggling to put back together.

In Pieces of You, April Farlow shares how she discovered her identity is formed by the God who made her. Along the way, she’s learned that if we want to put the pieces of who we are together in a real, lasting way, we have to look to Whose we are for help.

It’s time to take a look at the unique pieces that make up who you are …

The pieces you compare …
The pieces informed by the father figure in your life …
The painful pieces …
The pieces of your relationships …
The pieces on which you’ve built your beliefs …
The pieces that give you rules and boundaries …
The pieces that show what you value …
The pieces that give you purpose …
The pieces that help you build a vision for what’s to come.

As we work to put those pieces together, we’ll look to the God who made us, knows us, and loves us to guide us. Because when you take all your pieces—the good, the bad, the broken, and the beautiful—and place them in your Heavenly Father’s hands, there, you’ll find peace. There, you’ll find security. There, you’ll find a real sense of who you are and Whose you are.

Excerpt:

As it turns out, relationships are complex, wonderful, and constantly changing. Whether it’s a relationship with a spouse or significant other, a family member, a coworker, a friend, or just a neighbor we cross paths with occasionally, we don’t always appreciate the complexity or influence these relationships have on the pieces of who we are. We don’t always see how they shape not just how we see who we are but how we see who others are, too.

Relationships are complex. They’re made up of people who are flawed and imperfect, and we will inevitably get it wrong a time or two. And that means they likely deserve way more work and attention than we give them. After all, relationships can influence who we become. They leave a permanent tattoo on our skin, our personality, and our ability to have other relationships. They’re strong enough to give us a common bond yet powerful enough to tear us apart.

But you don’t need me to tell you this, do you? You experience the complexity of relationships in your life regularly.

I mean, even science is backing us up here. Social psychologists have claimed that our identity is often shaped by what we think other people think of us. If the people we’re in relationship with label us as beautiful, we believe it. We hold on to that if they say we’re smart, personable, or athletic. We think it about ourselves. We let it become a piece of who we are.

About the Author:

April Farlow has spent the last 20 years motivating audiences to get out of their comfort zone, speak up, and represent their values. In corporate environments, one piece is missed—the ability to talk about forming your identity in God. Today, as a speaker, author, coach, and non-profit leader, April is changing this by sharing her faith journey and helping others do the same with clarity and conviction.

In 2017, after speaking to a group of foster youth, April founded Lydia’s Place, a ministry serving young adults who have experienced foster care or homelessness. April and her husband have four girls and live on a mini-farm outside of Athens, Georgia.

Q&A With the Author:

What is something unique/quirky about you?
An interesting fact that I love to share when I play get to know you games: I grew up on a cattle farm and have never had a hamburger or steak. My parents did a health cleanse before I was born eliminating red meat and so I have also never had it (I get very sick if I try it).
One other interesting part of my life is that I have a bonus daughter who joined our family from Nigeria and because of Maria, I have a lot of Nigerian college students who spend holidays and weekends at our house and call me their American Mama.

What was your inspiration for writing this book?
I have been a corporate trainer for many years and have spent time helping leaders figure out who they are along with ways to communicate their personal brand and values. Along the way, I have learned that if you figure out who you are, but do not consider Whose you are in the journey, then you are missing one of the biggest pieces. “Pieces of You” is written to help the reader put the pieces of their relationships, rules, beliefs, values, vision and purpose together to live intentionally for Christ.

How did you come up with the name of this book?
My dad named me April after the song “Pieces of April” by Three Dog Night. Since my dad largely inspired the words in the book I wanted to reference something about him. In the book, I share pieces of my story in hopes that it will help the reader “know who you are in light of Whose you are.”

What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
I have been a storyteller on stage for a long time, but it has been so much fun to see my stories in writing. I had a writing coach throughout the process, Sara Shelton, and it was fun for her to guide me about what stories to include or eliminate. Since I coach people in speaking, it felt like I got to learn about storytelling in a whole new way and I have grown as a storyteller in general.

What is your writing Kryptonite?
I write at my dining room table and I am most creative when I have my papers and post it notes spread out all over the table. It looks a mess, but it totally throws me off if I clean it all up. Also, I listen to Megan Tibbits music while I write. Megan plays the harp and sings beautifully. I met her at a writing conference at The Oaks with Bob Goff and Kimberly Stuart. I think her music takes me back to that creative space.

Do you have any other books you are working on that you can tell us about?
I don’t have another book started yet, but I sure hope to tell the story of Maria, my bonus daughter next. Maria came to the United States at age 22 and had to start over in college. In Nigeria, Maria sat on a tire and had a wood plank for her desk. She had no books and very limited experience with math or science. We got her a tutor and miraculously she passed the college entrance exam for an associates degree. She is currently working on her PhD and her story is one that needs to be told!

What Are Your Top 10 Favorite books/authors?
I will forever be a fan of Dale Carnegie books because I spent 17 years teaching for Dale Carnegie:
How to Win Friends and Influence People
How to Start Worrying and Start Living
The Quick and Easy Guide to Effective Speaking

Other authors I love: Bob Goff, Kimberly Stuart, Lisa TerKeurst.

Anything more you would like to say to your readers and fans?
“Pieces of You” is a collection of my stories. I get real, really fast. When you read this book, I pray you think of your stories and get real with how they have shaped all the pieces of you that make you unique. What a great way to start 2025, letting go of comparison and running the race uniquely set out for you!

http://www.aprilfarlow.com
http://www.instagram.com/aprilwfarlow