diff --git a/v8_cxt.cpp b/v8_cxt.cpp
index 40375cb..9ee0855 100644
--- a/v8_cxt.cpp
+++ b/v8_cxt.cpp
@@ -4,26 +4,19 @@
 
 using namespace v8;
 
-Local<Context> VALUE_TO_CONTEXT(VALUE value) {
-  v8_ref* ref = 0;
-  Data_Get_Struct(value, struct v8_ref, ref);
-  return (Context *)(*ref->handle);
-}
-
 VALUE v8_cxt_allocate(VALUE clazz) {
-  v8_ref* ref = new v8_ref(Context::New());
-  return Data_Wrap_Struct(clazz, v8_ref_mark , v8_ref_free, ref);
+  return V8_Ref_Create(clazz, Context::New());
 }
 
 VALUE v8_cxt_Global(VALUE self) {
-  Local<Context> cxt = VALUE_TO_CONTEXT(self);
+  V8_Ref_Get(Context, cxt, self);
   cxt->Global();
   return Qnil;  
 }
 
 VALUE v8_cxt_open(VALUE self) {
   HandleScope handles;
-  Local<Context> cxt = VALUE_TO_CONTEXT(self);
+  V8_Ref_Get(Context, cxt, self);
   Context::Scope enter(cxt);
   if (rb_block_given_p()) {
     return rb_yield(self);
diff --git a/v8_ref.h b/v8_ref.h
index 407df15..df2b102 100644
--- a/v8_ref.h
+++ b/v8_ref.h
@@ -20,4 +20,10 @@ void v8_ref_mark(v8_ref* ref);
 void v8_ref_free(v8_ref* ref);
 
 
+//macros for helping make references
+
+#define V8_Ref_Create(clazz,handle) Data_Wrap_Struct(clazz,v8_ref_mark, v8_ref_free, new v8_ref(handle))
+
+#define V8_Ref_Get(type,var,value) v8_ref* __ref__ = 0; Data_Get_Struct(value, struct v8_ref, __ref__); Local<type> var = (type *)*__ref__->handle;
+
 #endif
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/v8_script.cpp b/v8_script.cpp
index 6a8ab14..e18f660 100644
--- a/v8_script.cpp
+++ b/v8_script.cpp
@@ -8,25 +8,16 @@
 
 using namespace v8;
 
-Local<Script> VALUE_TO_SCRIPT(VALUE value) {
-  v8_ref* ref = 0;
-  Data_Get_Struct(value, struct v8_ref, ref);
-  return (Script *)(*ref->handle);
-}
 
 VALUE v8_script_new(VALUE self, VALUE source) {
-  v8_ref* src_ref = 0;
-  Data_Get_Struct(source, struct v8_ref, src_ref);
   HandleScope handles;
-
-  Local<String> src((String *)*src_ref->handle);
-  v8_ref* script_ref = new v8_ref(Script::New(src));
-  return Data_Wrap_Struct(self, v8_ref_mark, v8_ref_free, script_ref);
+  V8_Ref_Get(String, src, source);
+  return V8_Ref_Create(self, Script::New(src));
 }
 
 VALUE v8_script_Run(VALUE self) {
   HandleScope handles;
-  Local<Script> script = VALUE_TO_SCRIPT(self);
+  V8_Ref_Get(Script, script, self);
   V8HandleSource<RubyDest, VALUE> toValue;
   Local<Value> result = script->Run();
   return toValue.push(result);  
diff --git a/v8_str.cpp b/v8_str.cpp
index 095ccef..446813f 100644
--- a/v8_str.cpp
+++ b/v8_str.cpp
@@ -7,14 +7,11 @@ using namespace v8;
 
 VALUE v8_str_new(VALUE clazz, VALUE str) {
   HandleScope handles;
-  v8_ref* ref = new v8_ref(String::New(RSTRING(str)->ptr));
-  return Data_Wrap_Struct(clazz, v8_ref_mark , v8_ref_free, ref);
+  return V8_Ref_Create(clazz, String::New(RSTRING(str)->ptr));
 }
 
 VALUE v8_str_to_s(VALUE self){
   HandleScope handles;
-  v8_ref* ref = 0;
-  Data_Get_Struct(self, struct v8_ref, ref);
-  Local<String> str = (String *)*ref->handle;
+  V8_Ref_Get(String, str, self);
   return rb_str_new2(*String::AsciiValue(str));
 }