Buy my book: Click the icon below (UK Sales) or the book image if you are in the USA or elsewhere

• Amazon

Here is a little taster of chapter one

Jerusalem Circa AD30 end of Spring.

Miriam still could not believe she was living in Jerusalem. To be precise, it was a small house just beyond Gethsemane on the road to Bethany. She lived with her husband Peter, she was getting used to calling him that, and with her three small children: Joshua, Esther, and Isaac. She was twenty-four years old and the happiest woman alive. They had moved in about a week previously. The decision to move from Capernaum had been difficult. They had a lovely home and Peter and his brother Andrew were successful fishermen. But then they had met Jesus and he had changed everything.

Miriam sat on a rock outside her new home. Isaac was feeding at her breast. Joshua and Esther played at her feet. As the sun warmed her, she began to reflect on the events of the last two months. Jesus’ arrest, trial, execution and most importantly his resurrection. She recalled the night he had appeared to her, to comfort her and tell her of his resurrection. She was alone in their Capernaum home. Peter and the others were in Jerusalem celebrating Passover with Jesus. She remembered her sense of foreboding over the festival time and had prayed to God to protect Peter and Jesus from harm. Jesus had then just appeared to her. She was filled with love for him and experienced joy and a sense of release from fear. It had been a strange experience. When Peter had returned, told her his story of how Jesus had been arrested, killed, and then rose. She already knew. Her Lord had come to her and comforted her in her time of need. Since then, her world had been turned upside down. The risen Jesus had appeared to Peter and the other disciples on several occasions. He had even appeared to hundreds at one time. Miriam had seen him too. His instructions had been clear. They were to be in Jerusalem together, all the disciples, by the time of the feast of Shavuot.

Isaac began to grumble, little whining sounds, not quite a cry. Miriam was brought back to the present. She looked down and saw that he had finished feeding. She turned him, covered up her breast and offered him the other. He took it greedily. She looked up to check on her other children and saw them exploring the yard. It was smaller than their Capernaum home, there was less shade and the boundary wall needed repairing. Peter would have his work cut out doing repairs and creating a new outhouse and washroom. She had become used to the luxury of a permanent toilet within her home. The house itself was like the one they had left in Capernaum, with a rooftop living space and three rooms indoors if you included the stable area. Not that they had any animals beyond chickens and a goat. From where she sat, she could see Jerusalem clearly, the golden-coloured stone of the city wall. The temple standing proud with the sun bouncing off its gold leaf roof. Her memories continued. Together, She and Peter had prayed to Jesus and asked him what they should do. Should they move? They had previously discussed it. It was clear that Jesus was calling Peter to lead the disciples and to build Jesus’ new kingdom. A new Israel, he called it with Jesus as king. Peter was concerned about the fishing business, but his younger brothers were keen to take it on. In fact, Benjamin had been doing most of it over the past two years anyway. His brother Isaac had offered to look after and live in the house. Miriam had been nervous; all she had ever known was Capernaum. Her whole life was there. She had prayed hard for Jesus to tell her what to do and had woken in the night with a Psalm in her head. One that her mother had taught her:

Teach me, Lord, the way of your decrees,
    that I may follow it to the end.
 Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law
    and obey it with all my heart.
 Direct me in the path of your commands,
    for there I find delight.
Turn my heart toward your statutes
    and not toward selfish gain.
 Turn my eyes away from worthless things.

Miriam smiled as she remembered what happened next. She had shaken Peter awake in excitement.