December 25th

December 25: Isaiah 7:14

Isaiah 7:14  (NIV)

14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

Reflection

God is with us. Stop and ponder that. God is here, right now, in your midst.

It might be a lot of fun to take time this morning to read the story of Jesus’ birth before your other Christmas traditions. Here is the story as it’s found in Luke chapter 2.

Prayer

God, the One who was born on this day, we give you thanks.

December 24th

December 24: Matthew 2:19-23

Matthew 2:13-23  (NIV)

When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”

So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:

“A voice is heard in Ramah,

   weeping and great mourning,

Rachel weeping for her children

   and refusing to be comforted,

   because they are no more.”

After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.”

So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene.

Reflection

Jesus spent his first year of childhood as a refugee.

“By the end of 2017, 68.5 million individuals were forcibly displaced worldwide as a result of persecution, conflict, violence or human rights violations. That was an increase of 2.9 million people over the previous year, and the world’s forcibly displaced population remained at a record high. This includes:

• 25.4 million refugees in the world—the highest ever seen;

• 40 million internally displaced people; and

• 3.1 million asylum-seekers.”
  (https://www.unrefugees.org/refugee-facts/statistics/)

Jesus knows firsthand what a refugee feels. How can you care and have greater empathy for the plight of the refugee, like Jesus does?

Prayer

God, the One who was forced to run for his life as a baby, help us to bring your peace to those who run for their lives.

December 23rd

December 23: Matthew 2:9-12

Matthew 2:9-12  (NIV)

After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

Reflection

The men from the East gave three gifts, each to speak to the identity of Jesus.

Gold: a gift worthy of a king.

Frankincense: a perfume used in worship,

Myrrh: a perfume used in burial.

Jesus is the King, worthy of praise, who died for our sins—King, Divine, Savior. This is why Jesus was born.

If you were to give a gift to Jesus this Christmas that represented his kingship, divinity and ability to save, what would it be?

In what ways is Jesus your King, your God or your Savior? Give thanks for these.

Prayer

God, the One who came to die for our sins, we give you thanks and praise for this most precious gift.

December 22nd

December 22: Matthew 2:7-8

Matthew 2:7-8  (NIV)

Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

Reflection

Herod had no intention to worship Jesus. He lied. He pretended to be interested in Jesus so as to hurt Jesus.

It’s true that at times, it benefits us to pretend to follow Jesus. It is a benefit, at times, to claim to be a follower of Jesus, even though what we’re doing is on a mission contrary to His.

Recently, I listened to a podcast where professional Christian musicians discussed how it’s hard to keep their faith alive when having faith is tied so closely to their paycheck. If they stopped being a Christian, they wouldn’t sell any more albums. This idea of a professional Christian is far removed from the Herod who pretended to want to worship Jesus… or is it?

Does the social expectation to be a Christian prevent you from truly worshiping Jesus?

Prayer,

God, the One who sees the true intents of our hearts, make us to love you as you first loved us.

December 21st

December 21: Matthew 2:3-6

Matthew 2:3-6  (NIV)

When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

“‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

   are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

for out of you will come a ruler

   who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

Reflection

King Herod was not happy about the announcement of the birth of a King—and for good reason. A new King would put him out of business. Ultimately, Jesus wouldn't come to challenge Herod’s power—at least not in a traditional sense. Jesus would challenge the idea of power and bring Herod down by establishing an everlasting Kingdom. This Kingdom is made up of people from all walks of life, over the ages, who have chosen to look to Jesus as their King. More than 2000 years later, this Kingdom has never been stronger. Herod’s kingdom—or any nation for that matter—comes and goes.

Where is your allegiance: to the nations of this world or to the person of Jesus? Or to something else?

Prayer

God, the One who reigns for all time, receive us as worthy servants.

December 20th

December 20: Matthew 2:1-2

Matthew 2:1-2  (NIV)

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

Reflection

Men, traveling for miles, likely over a period of months, came looking for Jesus. They had studied the prophets of old and knew the King would be born in Bethlehem. Somehow, from their studies of the stars, they knew it was happening in their generation.

Bethlehem and Israel in general would not prepare room for Jesus. There would be no room for them in the Inn. Jesus was right there in their midst, and they would miss him.  But from the other side of the world, seekers would come and find him.

Foreigners would show the world what really mattered.

It’s common for people of any race or nationality to consider their views and perspectives as the best. It’s very common, but that doesn’t make it right. This story of the men from the east remind us that sometimes other people from other cultures can show us what we should be looking for. If we look to them, they can show us Jesus in ways we never thought possible.

How familiar are you with the church in other parts of the world? Is there a foreign expression of Christianity (or any religion) that has helped to shape your faith?

Prayer

God, the One who draws people from all nations, draw me in as well. Help me not to miss the Jesus who is in our midst.

December 19th

December 19: Luke 2:19-20

Luke 2:19-20  (NIV)

But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Reflection

It’s common and expected for a mother to treasure the moments after their child has been welcomed into the world. A new life has come into the world. The little baby is fragile, helpless and eager to be loved. Christmas is a great time to ponder and and think more deeply. It’s a great model for how to better approach Christmas. Jesus is born, and like a mother holding a baby for the first time, we’re invited, yet again, to receive Jesus. To think deeply. To store up these moments of reflection and contemplation in our hearts.

Take time to think. Take time to treasure and enjoy the coming of Jesus into our lives. Don’t move too quickly onto the next thing. Ponder the true meaning of Christmas.

Prayer

God, the One who forces us to think and feel deeply, open our hearts to the wonders of your presence.

December 18th

December 18: Luke 2:15-18

Luke 2:15-18  (NIV)

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.

Reflection

“They spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child.” The shepherds became the first evangelists. They told people what they had seen and experienced. They were some of the first to share the good news of Jesus.

Who could you share Jesus with this Christmas? Who could you invite to church this Christmas?

Prayer

God, the One who is too good to keep to ourselves, give us courage to share your good news with others.

December 17th

December 17: Luke 2:13-14

Luke 2:13-14  (NIV)

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven,

   and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Reflection

Angels we have heard on high

Sweetly, sweetly through the night

And the mountains in reply

Echoing their brief delight

Shepherds, why this jubilee?

Why your joyous strains prolong?

What the gladsome tidings be

Which inspire your heavenly song?

Come to Bethlehem and see

Him whose birth the angels sing,

Come, adore on bended knee,

Christ the Lord, the newborn King.

After announcing to the shepherds that a King was born, the angels sang a song of praise. There are a lot of Christmas songs, but not all of them give praise to Jesus (and that’s okay, too). What Christmas song most helps you get into the Christmas spirit? Which one helps you best focus on giving praise to God and Jesus?

Prayer

God, the One who gives our hearts the desire to sing, we give you praise!

December 16th

December 16: Luke 2:8-12

Luke 2:8-12  (NIV)

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Reflection

The shepherds were told to look for a baby and that they would know they found the right baby, because the one they’re looking for would be lying in a food trough.

Why would God choose the shepherds to be the first to see the baby Jesus? They were poor, low class, night shift shepherds. They likely smelled bad and were viewed by most people as untrustworthy.

Why would God choose them? One reason is simple: they wouldn’t think it strange to lay a baby in a feeding trough! As shepherds living on the land and raising their children in poverty, that wouldn’t make them uncomfortable.

Maybe God chose them, in part, because Mary and Joseph, and especially the events surrounding the birth of Jesus, were the kind of people and circumstances the shepherds would be comfortable with.

I wonder, if Jesus came today and was born in a homeless shelter, was laid in a bucket and nursed next to animals—how would you respond? Would you be able to worship Jesus? Or would you be distracted by the surroundings?

How might your expectations for how things should be keep you from worshiping Jesus when he’s found in some unlikely places?

Prayer

God, the One who is born in a stable, help us to face you without pretence of arrogance.

December 15th

December 15: Luke 2:1-7

Luke 2:1-7  (NIV)

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

Reflection

Joy to the world, the Lord is come

Let earth receive her King

Let every heart prepare Him room

And Heaven and nature sing

The birth of Jesus is surrounded by people and places who would not make room for him. It was true that God was not welcome in this world. If only things were different then… and now. In the busyness of celebrating the birth of Jesus, how many of us fail to make room for Him?

Look at your calendar and your financial statements: considering these only, have you made room for Jesus?

How might you make room for Jesus this Christmas?

Prayer

God, the One who shows up even when there isn’t room, show up in our lives this year too.

December 14th

December 14: Micah 5:2-5

Micah 5:2-5  (NIV)

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,

   though you are small among the clans of Judah,

out of you will come for me

   one who will be ruler over Israel,

whose origins are from of old,

   from ancient times.”

Therefore Israel will be abandoned

   until the time when she who is in labor bears a son,

and the rest of his brothers return

   to join the Israelites.

He will stand and shepherd his flock

   in the strength of the Lord,

   in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.

And they will live securely, for then his greatness

   will reach to the ends of the earth.

And he will be our peace

   when the Assyrians invade our land

   and march through our fortresses.

We will raise against them seven shepherds,

   even eight commanders,”

Reflection

O little town of Bethlehem

How still we see thee lie

Above thy deep and dreamless sleep

The silent stars go by

Yet in thy dark streets shineth

The everlasting Light

The hopes and fears of all the years

Are met in thee tonight

If there was ever a clear theme in the Christmas story it’s this: God uses unlikely people and places to accomplish his purposes. This little town, smallest amongst the clans, would cradle the Son of God.

God is able to look at almost anyone and see potential.

What kind of potential does God see in you?

Prayer

God, the One who uses the small things in this world, use me.

December 13th

December 13: Luke 1:46-56

Luke 1:46-56  (NIV)

And Mary said:

“My soul glorifies the Lord

   and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

for he has been mindful

   of the humble state of his servant.

From now on all generations will call me blessed,

   for the Mighty One has done great things for me—

   holy is his name.

His mercy extends to those who fear him,

   from generation to generation.

He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;

   he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.

He has brought down rulers from their thrones

   but has lifted up the humble.

He has filled the hungry with good things

   but has sent the rich away empty.

He has helped his servant Israel,

   remembering to be merciful

to Abraham and his descendants forever,

   just as he promised our ancestors.”

Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.

Reflection

This is one of a couple of carols found in the Christmas story. Mary’s song, if you really dig into the lyrics, is best summarized by this simple line: “He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.” In a time when rulers could force you to travel across country for a census, this humble little girl from a no-name town would give birth to a King! God was entering the world through the lives of the poor and forgotten. The powerful would be brought down and the humble lifted. This is only possible through God, for in every other area of life, the opposite happens. This means that without God’s intervention, the powerful will gain more power and the need for humility will be forgotten.

What areas of your life need to be “brought down?” What areas in your life need to be “lifted up?”

Prayer

God, the One who lifts up the humble, lower us, so we might be lifted up by you.

December 12th

December 12: Luke 1:39-45

Luke 1:39-45  (NIV)

At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

Reflection

Up to this point in the story, Mary would’ve had to deal with a lot of trouble. Joseph was about to divorce her, and only refrained when he was told otherwise by an angel! Other than Joseph, most people didn’t know about the pregnancy. So Mary held this secret in her womb and likely worried about whether people would find out. If people found out she was pregnant outside of marriage, she could face enormous trouble. All that to say: she was carrying a lot, and most likely carrying it by herself. Imagine the moment when she went to see Elizabeth and was received with nothing but praise and encouragement.

There are not enough Elizabeths in the world. There are times when we need a word of encouragement or to feel the sense that we’re not alone, and there’s no one to offer that. While we can’t force other people to be an encouragement, we can model it ourselves.

Who can you call, email, text or talk to that you can say an encouraging word to? Does someone come to mind? If  so, stop what you’re doing and act on it!

Prayer

God, the One who encourages, send someone my way to be an encouragement to me, and help me reach out and speak blessings over other people.  

December 11th

December 11: Matthew 1:22-25

Matthew 1:22-25  (NIV)

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Reflection

Joseph received a vision in his dream. While this might sound remarkable, the truly remarkable thing is what happened when he woke up. It says that when he woke up, he did what he was told. How many of us can say the same? If Joseph was like the rest of us, the text might read: “When he woke up, he thought about it, debated with God, wavered back and forth, spent a month or two avoiding the issue, and after he couldn’t run any further, did what he was told…”

Is there something you know you should do that you’ve been putting off? What if you got up and just did it?

Prayer

God, the One who tells us what to do, help us to actually do it.

December 10th

December 10: Matthew 1:18-21

Matthew 1:18-21  (NIV)

This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

Reflection

The name Jesus is an English version of the Latin translation of the Hebrew name, Joshua, that’s rooted in a Hebrew verb meaning “to rescue, deliver, or save.” It was a common name in the ancient world, but here it takes on special significance. This baby would be named Jesus because he will deliver, rescue, and save his people from their sins.

Scripture teaches us that because of Jesus, if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and wash us clean.

What sin can you bring before God today, trusting that you will be forgiven and washed clean?

Prayer

God, the One who saves us from ourselves, help us to not hold too tightly to the very thing you’ve come to save us from.

December 9th

December 9: Luke 1:26-38

Luke 1:26-38  (NIV)

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.”

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

Reflection

The angel appears and says “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” When the angel says, “The Lord is with you,” he was not only using a phrase that was a greeting and a sort of common blessing, but was pointing to the fact that in Mary’s case, the Lord was actually with her. She was pregnant with Jesus.  Not only was the Lord with her, but the Lord would be close to all of us because of the child she was bringing into the world.

Why do we we still struggle to sense God's presence?

God has always been with us, but we tend to doubt it. By coming in the flesh, born into the world, the doubts about whether God was with us or amongst us were meant to be diminished. Why is it that now, just as much as then, we still doubt that God is with us?

Growing in your faith simply means growing in your confidence in God.

How might you trust God more this year than you have any year before?

Prayer

God, who is always with us, I believe! Help my unbelief.

December 8th

December 8: Luke 1: 18-25

Luke 1:18-25  (NIV)

Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”

The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”

Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.

When his time of service was completed, he returned home. After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”

Reflection

Zechariah didn’t believe God would give them a child. This is a common theme in the Bible, specifically not believing God about having a child in old age (i.e. Abraham and Sarah). It’s also a more general idea that God’s plans for our future are so crazy that it’s impossible to believe they will happen. Think about that for a second: God’s plans for people’s lives tend to be so big, crazy and insane that it’s common in the Bible for people to say to God, “That’s not possible. I don’t believe you.”

Do you think we will ever realize that that’s just how God works? Ephesians 3:20 says it like this:

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us…”

What if this Christmas, you really believed God could do more in your life than you could ever imagine?

Prayer

God, the One who does more than we could ever imagine, help us to trust you, especially when it seems impossible.

December 7th

December 7: Luke 1:11-17

Luke 1:11-17  (NIV)

Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink,and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

Reflection

The angel promised Zechariah that the Holy Spirit would fill his child even before he was born. The idea is that the Holy Spirit would be at work in him while he was still in his mother’s womb. In our world, we tend to think in very individualistic ways. We assume that God can only work in the heart and mind of someone who is willing and able. The reality is that God is at work in our lives long before we ever realize it.

If you have children, consider this: is it possible that the Holy Spirit is already at work in their lives, even if they are too small to understand it?

Whether you have children or not, is it possible that the Holy Spirit has been working in your life in ways you haven’t even realized, to bring you to where you are right now?

What has God done in your life up to this point to prepare you for what’s next?

Prayer

God, the One who works in us before we know it, continue your work in us, and open our eyes to the ways you’ve shaped and molded us in the past.

December 6th

December 6: Luke 1:5-10

Luke 1:5-10  (NIV)

In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.

Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.

Reflection

In ancient cultures, couples, especially the wives, were looked down on for not having children. There was a lot of stigma, and it would’ve produced a lot of shame. Older couples like this would have been considered worthless. Yet, God didn’t see them as worthless. And by chance (or by God’s divine providence) Zechariah had the chance to light the incense in the temple. In doing so, he was able to have a divine encounter and find out that God had something big planned for his family. God had plans for someone special to be born.

If a committee wanted to choose a couple to give birth to someone special, they might secure a handful of great candidates. Maybe they would choose someone with kids already, or qu,aity parents who haven't had kids yet. BUt they certainly wouldn’t choose someone old, or well beyond childbearing years. Yet, that’s exactly who God chooses to give birth to this special child. God uses the ones the world views as useless.

Is there an area in your life where you’ve experienced stigma or shame? Is there any area where it feels you have the least to offer? Is it possible that God could do something special with that?

What would it look like for you to lay down the shame and trust that God still has good things in store for you?

Prayer

God, the One who uses those the world throws away, use me.