Why do we “go to heaven” when we die? Have you ever wondered about that? I have the answer. The reason we go to heaven when we die is because that’s where Jesus is. Sometimes when I come home from a trip, Emily, my wife, will be out of town. I wander around the house [...]

Do you have a sense of wonder? If not, shouldn’t you at least WONDER why you don’t have that sense of wonder? I think we can have our sense of wonder stolen. I mean it. When that happens, we should report a stolen sense of wonder and raise a riot about it. NOBODY steals OUR [...]

Hey, you have a nice smile. I have a dear brother in Jesus who believes that Noah’s Flood was local, that God used evolution to create the plants and animals, and that the Hebrew word translated “day” in Genesis chapter 1 could be any length of time whatever. Of course, I’m flabbergasted. Amazed, astounded, staggered, [...]

I’m not sure how the turkey thing started. Why someone turned to someone else and said, “You’re a real turkey.” As an epithet, it is tight and effective. It’s especially useful against a large group, as in “What a bunch of turkeys.” I hope you’ve never been seriously called one and I hope you haven’t [...]

Hi. Alan Root here. A month ago, I went with my brothers, one of my sisters in law, and two of my favorite cousins into the Everglades in the southern tip of the Florida peninsula. Do you know about the Everglades? I didn’t and still don’t know much about it. “Glade” means an opening in [...]

Dogwood winter. Did you know there was such a thing? It’s a part of spring here in Tennessee. Winter is properly over and it gets warm and the trees bud and the grass has to be cut for the first time in five months. But then, in the midst of the march of balmy weather, [...]

MICHAEL W. SMITH “Alan is a sincere and gifted minister of the Gospel. His work with tweens and their families is so unique and so needed. I don’t know anyone out there with a bigger heart or a bigger vision for these kids. There’s no one like him. His work is eternal and I encourage [...]

Recently, at my church’s midweek gathering, our pastor asked us this question: “Have you done anything that required God’s help?” My first thought was, “No.” Then my second thought was, “Yes, of course!” Now I’m thinking, “Yes, but I wish I relied on God and his power more than I do.” Are you following this? [...]

Hey you guys, I’ve often wanted to prioritize my life. “Prior” means “before,” and so prioritize means to put things in an order by putting some things before other things. What’s most important in my life? I gotta breath and eat and sleep. I gotta go to church and work (school for you). I need [...]

Hey there- how’s summer going? The thing is, summer is going. I mean going fast. It’s going to be gone before we know it, and school will begin. But before you panic, know that you still have time to read that book you wanted to, to make that puppet you were going to, to organize [...]