Bricks without Straw
by
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As parents, we are failing to install [Christian] morals and ethics in our children, the two most crucial yet waning elements pivotal for a fecund lifestyle required to serve and honor our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus. The answer to our troubled youth lies not in turning them over at an earlier age to the government like some unclaimed baggage at the airport, but rather in clearing the grass and paving the way for a Christ-centered education as opposed to a secular one. It is through adherence to Scriptural edicts that a prosperous life can be achieved. What we say or don’t say—“You’re worthless,” or “I wish you’d never been born!” over “I love you” and “How was your day at school?”—can set the tone for a child’s emotional and mental state of mind for their entire life. Dismissing parental responsibilities by allowing them to vegetate hours in front of a television or on a cellular phone rather than engaging in daily conversation over events that happened to them throughout the day, or spending quality time such as fishing, cheering from the bleachers while they are on the foul line, reassuring them that a broken heart is not the end of the world ensures a child that their parents do care, thus strengthening the relationship for life.
If we are to survive as a [Christian] nation, we must return to the rudimentary Judeo-Christian principles that are the backbone of this country; this entails teaching our children to work rather than slumber, cherish education rather than abhor it, respect others rather than hurl bricks and bottles, honor parents rather than curse them, and above all, love rather than hate. Vladimir Lenin is quoted as having said the following: “Destroy the family, destroy the country.” This statement rings true today as it did back then. Families are the nuclei of any country, and their values are propagated from one generation to the next in accordance with the upbringing of children.
Satan has initiated a no-holds barred, all-out assault on our youth, using every weapon in his arsenal from perverse lyrics from rambunctious singers to immoral television programs and the almighty cellular phone. By themselves, any of these factors suffice to lure our kids into his lair, combining them with one another and adding additional outside interferences will render any child defenseless, adults included. Parents must be the first line of defense. Just as God provides guidance through Scripture, we, too, must impart counsel to safeguard them from the perils of today’s society that have become increasingly more attractive and dangerous; every day we allow impious actions to go unchecked steers them further away from Christ. Without parental supervision, they are nothing more than bricks without straw.
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About the Book
What has happened to our youth? How did it all go south so fast?
Hardly any of them give up a seat to an elderly person or a pregnant woman—and profanity against bus drivers, teachers, police officers and everyone else has become a rite of passage. Drug use and violence no longer strike fear in their hearts.
Even worse, they’re entitled, believing everything should be theirs even if they have not worked hard for it. Meanwhile, parents have given up on parenting, preferring to turn over their children to the government or society to be reared.
Al Bruno, Ph.D., a longtime educator and former chaplain, highlights the epidemics that have ravaged our youth in Bricks without Straw. He offers guidance on how to:
take back our children, guide them, and teach them about the Lord; prepare children for the difficult life they will face as adults; teach children right from wrong; instill a love of learning in children.
With youth crime surging, a waning work ethic, and children hurling insults at each other at every opportunity, the stakes could not be higher. Whether you’re an educator, parent, grandparent, or community leader, you’ll grasp the problem and find solutions in this book.
About the Author
Al Bruno, Ph.D., walked away after nineteen years with the NYC Department of Education, teaching English at the middle and high school levels. He was also a chaplain with United Chaplains State of New York (UCSNY) and taught several chaplaincy courses such as, “Who is God?” and “History of the Church”. He obtained his master’s in divinity and a Ph.D. in theology from Freedom Bible College & Seminary. A veteran of the U.S. Army, he continues to serve his country as a soldier in the New York Guard and as a member of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. Bricks Without Straw is his fifth book.