OpenGL and SDL_TTF Help

Can or could anyone please write a tutorial on how to use SDL_TTF in
OpenGL with a simple function call? I have looked at the sample program
that SDL_TTF comes with and am lost. I not sure but maybe it would be
better to just just a font set with alpha channel and display them at a
texture instead of beating my head against the wall with inner workings
of the code to display text? Thanks