Breath of the Spirit - eBooks.

Do you feel tired, stressed, over busy? Does the world around you seem dull and flat? Pause and let these 57 full colour photographs with simple words boost your spirit.

Photographer Alexander Garside helps us to see the world through fresh eyes, and to appreciate the beauty of nature and our urban landscape. There is joy, light and life all around us.

Philip Garside has added one or two words to each photo and also penned spontaneous short texts/poems/prayers to draw further meaning from each image.

You might like to meditate on an image and its text each day, working through the pages sequentially. Or dip into a page at random. Write your own response to an image. It’s over to you.

Praise for Breath of the Spirit

“It was with much joy that I began to receive Philip’s daily post on Facebook; stunning photography from his son Alexander that spoke to me visually, but also enhanced by Philip’s invitation to ‘Ponder – Respond – Share’ using two or three words or simple phrases.

I valued these, carrying the visual and word imagery through the day, and thought these gifts needed to be shared.

I am delighted to affirm the words Philip uses in his introduction and know that this resource is now available not only for personal use, but also as a resource for worship, small group or retreat purposes.

Breath of the Spirit a constant reminder to
“Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)”

• Alone: Mason’s Lane, Wellington
• And God Said…: Looking south from Wellington’s South coast
• Angles: Hikitia floating crane and Wellington cityscape – Philip Garside
• Aroha: Wellington waterfront, Festival of Light
• Awe: Mt Fuji, Japan
• Be Still: Miramar Peninsula, Wellington Harbour
• Breathe: Randwick Road, Wellington
• Calm: Takahe at Zealandia ecosanctuary Karori, Wellington
• Classic: Rona sailing yacht built in 1892 and recently restored. Chaffers Marina, Wellington
  – Philip Garside
• Communing: AJQ (Almost Jazz Quintet) at The Clubhouse, Seatoun, Wellington
• Community: An orderly, peaceful protest march down Willis Street, Wellington
• Connection: AJQ (Almost Jazz Quintet) at The Clubhouse, Seatoun, Wellington, with special guest Trombonist Rodger Fox
• Dance: Annual International Dance Day, at Te Papa, Wellington
• Deep: Milford Track, South Island
• Dying–Living: Tararua Range on the track to Powell Hutt
• Enclosed: Worser Bay Boating Club, Wellington
• Fancy: Christmas fare – Philip Garside
• Fire – Spirit: From Northland Road, Wellington looking East towards Mt Victoria with
  Mt Matthew in the background
• Flowing: Kapiti Coast and Kapiti Island seen from the Paekakariki Hill Road
• Focus: New Zealand robin at Zealandia ecosanctuary, Karori, Wellington
• Gathering: A prayer station at a service led by Philip Garside at Wesley Methodist Church, Wellington – Heather Garside
• Growing: Fern in the Tararua Range
• Hand crafted: Dinghy sailor Heather Garside talking with the boatshed owner in Oamaru’s historic precinct, dressed up for the Oamaru Victorian Heritage Celebrations
  – Philip Garside
• Harmony: Heather Garside sailing her Zephyr class boat Spirit Wind in Worser Bay, Wellington
• Healing: Sunrise stained glass hanging by Averil Cullen
• Home: From Northland Road, Wellington looking towards Kelburn
• Hope: Nativity Scene at home – Philip Garside
• Incoming: PO Boxes Karori, Wellington – Philip Garside
• Journey: Cable car, Kelburn, Wellington
• Joy: Flowers at Wesley Methodist Church, Wellington – Heather Garside
• Laughter: Wellington waterfront, Festival of Light
• Life Force: Sunset Manawatu
• Life spring: Milford Track, South Island
• Light Air: Summer, Carter Observatory, Kelburn, Wellington
• Listening: Festival Singers conducted by Jonathan Berkahn, perform a concert at St John’s
• Anglican Church, Johnsonville, Wellington – Heather Garside
• Music: Taylor acoustic guitar gifted to Philip by Paul and Susan
• No: Protest, Civic Square, Wellington
• No rush: Manawatu dairy farm
• Paradise: Sunset looking from Johnston Hill, Karori across Cook Strait to the Kaikōura ranges. The photo also appears on the cover of Festival Singers of Wellington’s digital album A Hopkins Gloria.
• Pasture: Colonial Knob, Porirua looking south across Cook Strait
• Peace: The torii of the Shinto shrine on the island of Itsukushima (Miyajima), Hiroshima, Japan
• Plan: Designing and testing a track plan for a compact N gauge model railway layout
  – Philip Garside
• Quiet: Te Ahumairangi section of the Northern Walkway, Wellington
• Rain: Corner of Glenmore and Bowen Streets, Wellington
• Renewal: Otari-Wilton’s Bush Native Botanic Garden, Wellington
• Sabbath – Rest: Te Ahumairangi section of the Northern Walkway, Wellington
• Sharing: Heather plays chords and a child strums at Wesley Methodist Church, Wellington
• Solace: New Brighton beach, Christchurch
• Something Old: Car seen during Napier’s annual Art Deco festival
• Sundown: Kapiti Coast
• Tears: Albatross water fountain by Tanya Ashke, Wellington waterfront.
• Trains: A portable OO gauge shunting layout – Philip Garside
• Waiting: A New Zealand Railways 1908, 2nd class railway carriage at the harbour end of Oamaru’s vintage railway track – Philip Garside
• Walking: Breaker Bay, Wellington
• Water: Hills overlooking the Manawatu Gorge Road, now permanently closed due to the danger of rockfalls and slips
• Worry – Fear: Waterfront quays road, Wellington
• Worship: Pohutukawa tree blossom, Wellington. The photo also appears on the cover of Knowing the Song, by Colin Gibson.

About Philip & Alexander

Lay preacher, publisher and bookseller Philip Garside, supplies ministers, worship leaders and church members, with resources for worship and reflection that celebrate the spirit of our country Aotearoa New Zealand.

Award-winning photographer Alexander Garside’s images give us a fresh perspective on our natural landscape, urban settings and people. 

He is also a skilled videographer and sound recordist, who has captured many of Festival Singers’ concerts & projects.

 And he is an actor/director with Wellington’s Drama Christi.