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Christian homemakers need encouragement and motivation to stay the course. Homemaking and homeschooling can feel overwhelming, but they don’t have to be. If you’re a Christian mom longing for a well-ordered home, a peaceful homeschool, and a joyful heart—without the stress or burnout—you’re in the right place. Moms can be productive and peaceful when grounded in Scriptural truth.
I’m Mystie Winckler, homeschooling mom of five, founder of Simply Convivial, and your guide to managing both home and heart with faith and focus. Here, we talk about biblical homemaking, sustainable homeschooling, and cheerful productivity—all through the lens of organizing your attitude and embracing your God-given calling.
In each episode, you’ll find practical homemaking systems, homeschooling strategies, and mindset shifts that will help you manage your home without perfectionism or frustration. We’ll tackle topics like:
✔️ Christian homemaking routines that actually work
✔️ Productivity, mom-style
✔️ Homeschooling with peace—even when life gets messy
✔️ Time management for moms (without rigid schedules)
✔️ Decluttering your home & your attitude
✔️ How to be diligent, not just busy
Motherhood is a marathon, not a sprint. You don’t need more willpower—you need a grace-filled, biblical approach to managing life at home. Let’s cultivate faithfulness, embrace joy, and build habits that make home a place of peace and purpose.
👉 Subscribe now and start organizing your home and heart—cheerfully.
Speaker: Actually, as the more I think
about the alignment cards, the more
I'm realizing everywhere something
is vying to be a- to align us.
Mm.
And so it has to be, we have to
be really particular and strategic
about what we choose to have in
front of our faces, what we choose
to have running through our heads.
Speaker 2: Welcome to the Christian
homemaking podcast, Simply Convivial.
I'm Misty Winkler, homemaker,
homeschooling mom of five,
grandma, and author of the book
Home is for Hospitality: Why
Your Home and Homemaking Matter.
Convivial means living together with joy,
and that's the kind of home atmosphere
that we want to create in our homes.
That's why I run Convivial Circle, a
community helping women to excel at
homemaking and do life cheerfully.
And today I'm joined by a member of
Convivial Circle, Sarah Middlestead.
Sarah has been married to her
husband, Andy, for 23 years.
They met at the local church in their
college town, and ended up staying there
to grow in faith and raise their children.
Their home school has graduated
one student, and currently
has two more enrolled.
Sarah truly enjoys homemaking and
loves reading, growing flowers,
learning, teaching, and talking shop,
which is what we're gonna do today.
Thank you, Sarah.
Speaker: Yeah.
Thank you, Misty.
Speaker 2: Well, this is Organize October,
and we're talking all about alignment
cards and organizing our attitudes.
And you have quite a few alignment cards,
and they're kind of unconventional.
Some of them are a little unconventional.
And so I'd love for you to just
tell us a little bit about what
you have going on right now for
that, and how they've been helping.
Speaker: Yes.
So I love to write alignment
cards, to put them on my
favorite colors of sticky notes.
Um, I've not been as great at
actually reading the alignment
cards, which turns out- ⦠that
really is the most important part.
So I find that when I'm teaching
something to my kids or if someone
asks you to come on a podcast to
talk about alignment cards- Yeah
all of a sudden you really start working
hard at learning what you need to teach-
⦠or looking at your alignment cards.
So that's what I've been trying
to do, and lo and behold, it has
been a really helpful thing for me.
I brought with me my
current alignment cards.
We'll see.
Iâ¦
This may pop up backwards on your
screen, but at least these are the actual
ones that I pulled from above my sink.
And I even note, like, there's
mistakes on them, and I'm battling
perfectionism one sticky note
at a time, so I didn't fix them.
This is what they look like.
Um, I'll start with
the unconventional one.
So I have this little, it's a window
cling- Of Peter Rabbit and his mother.
And I found this book at a thrift
store, and it had window clings of
the Beatrix Potter illustrations.
And I just love this little
illustration so much.
Mother looks nurturing.
She's taking care of Peter.
And so I have that over the
sink, over our kitchen sink, as a
reminder to be like Mother Rabbit
and be nurturing to my children.
Um, another one I have here, it
says, "God was with the boy."
I listen every day to Jackie
Hill Perry read the ESV Bible.
It's a Crossway podcast.
And there was one morning I
was listening, and I heard her
say, "God was with the boy."
And I remember that was a time, it
was shortly after my son had left for
either going to his summer camp or
going back to school, I'm not sure.
But it was just such an encouragement
to me that, yes, my son has left
our home, uh, but God is with him.
So that's another one that I keep
above my window as a reminder
that God is with the boy.
Um, the man.
He's a man now.
Um, let's see.
Would you like me to keep reading them?
Yeah.
I have two.
Okay.
Yeah.
Um, so I have one.
We've been talking inside Convivial
Circle about excuses, and so one of my
alignment cards is a quote from Benjamin
Franklin that you gave us, Misty.
"He that is good for making excuses
is seldom good for anything else."
So that's one that I have up.
And also, when you When you go on
a podcast to talk about alignment
cards and God's kindness, he gives
you a chance to use them really well.
So this fourth alignment card that
I have hanging over my sink is from
Ephesians 4:20, and it says, "With all
humility and gentleness, with patience,
bearing with one another in love."
Now, I have a little bit of a bougie
habit that when I make my coffee in the
morning, I like it to go in a hot cup.
So I have to warm the water up, and I've
been trying to, when I'm standing at the
sink warming my water up that I'm going
to use then to heat my coffee cup up,
I've been reading my alignment cards.
So this morning, we had, we had a
busy weekend, full weekend of good
things, but we were tired this
morning, and I found myself just
being really short with my husband.
And so then I'm heating up my coffee,
my- I'm heating the water to heat up
my coffee cup, and I read this verse,
and it aligns me to what is true.
So I was remembering, and I even texted
my 20-year-old son this morning, there was
a time in our youth fellowship at church,
it probably was five or six years ago, and
I like to ask our kids, "What's something
that you want to remember from teaching?"
that they hear.
And my, my young teenage son had said
that the teacher that night at our
youth fellowship had said, I'm gonna
actually, I have to read it from my
paper here, that, "A crooked stick
will always look crooked when you
hold it up to something straight."
And so as I was thinking about that this
morning, thinking about alignment cards,
I thought- I don't look so bad when I hold
myself up to something that's crooked.
Speaker 2: Mm.
Speaker: But when I held myself up
this morning to Ephesians 4:2, "With
all humility and gentleness, with
patience, bearing with one another in
love," I, I look crooked because I am.
The word of God is straight.
And so I think that's one thing
that alignment cards do is when we
pick something that's straight, we
see more clearly what is crooked
when we compare it next to that.
Yeah.
So, um, that, yeah, that was a
good morning, and I, I did go
to my husband and apologize.
He's probably around the
corner listening right now.
Um, but I think that that is
what alignment cards do isâ¦
In fact, I looked up the word
alignment, and it means to put
yourself in line with something.
So, which is probably why you
chose the name alignment card.
Um, and so when we pick something that
is good and true and beautiful, something
that is straight to compare ourselves
against, and we put ourselves in line
with that, we're c- we're taking our
thoughts captive in an active way.
Speaker 2: Yes.
Oh, that's such a good picture, too.
Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah.
Yeah.
Speaker 2: And we were talking
inside Convivial Circle a little
bit earlier today on the possibility
of having a fake alignment card.
Speaker: Ah.
Speaker 2: You have-
Speaker: Yeah.
Yes.
I, I mean, I think that everywhere we
go something is trying to align us.
Mm-hmm.
Um, it's kind of like we go
read the Westminster and the
Heidelberg Catechism with our kids
and we're trying to indoctrinate
them, but we're choosing- Yes.
what we're going to
indoctrinate them with.
So your kids are going
to be indoctrinated.
We are going to be aligned by
something and so we should choose
really carefully what that is.
Uh, I think in particular social
media is going to align us, um,
in probably not in a way that we
would want to actually be aligned.
And it becomesâ¦
It's sneaky.
I think we don't always notice what
is, what we are being aligned to, what
we're putting ourselves in line with.
Uh, that makes me think our pastor
often says from the pulpit that when
a ship is sailing if you get off by
just one degree or two degrees you
end up in a really different place
than you set out in the beginning.
Mm-hmm.
And so alignment cards are going to
keep us in line so that we're not
getting off one degree, two degree
because those add up and all of a
sudden you find yourself someplace you
did not think you were going to go.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Yeah.
It's the inputs.
Like, the inputs matter.
Yeah.
Who you're hanging out with- Yeah
what thoughts you're having on
repeat make a big difference.
Speaker: Yeah.
So I think with social media it is
aligning us and not all of us should
get off of, off of social media,
but some of us probably should.
Um, and I am one of those people just
because I have an obsessive personality.
I can't handle social media.
Um, I don't have the self-discipline
so I just don't do it.
Um, and I, I'm thankful for that
because I think it really does align.
It's sending us messages that we align
ourselves to whether we know it or not.
Speaker 2: Mm-hmm.
So do you find it's just time on screen
or time reading other people's things
or is it the messages that are there?
Would you say that something
like Convivial Circle is
social media in that same way?
Speaker: I would say it's interesting
that you bring that up because I do
have to be careful with Convivial
Circle to not be on it all the time.
Yeah.
Like, it still does require a discipline.
Speaker 2: Mm-hmm.
Speaker: But it, there is with Convivial
Circle though, the messaging is different.
So I think it is a two-part.
There is the time, um, if I were to be
neglecting my duties around the home in
order to post more on Convivial Circle,
that would be, that would be a problem.
Um, but the messaging is good messaging.
Does that, does that work?
Yeah.
Speaker 2: Okay.
Yeah.
I don't know, that just popped into myâ¦
Iâ¦
'Cause yeah, like, what's the, the
differencing, differences there?
Speaker: Yeah.
Yeah.
It's aâ¦
And it's a goodâ¦
I think that it is two-part, yeah.
Mm-hmm.
Being careful of time, ob- obsessively
checking, compulsively checking- Right
⦠which are ditches that I fall into-
Yes ⦠and have to be on the lookout for.
I
Speaker 2: mean, there is- Yeah
there is an element where just seeing
the bright colored lights on the screen
is itself, you know, that affects our
minds, um, and is a cer- particular kind
of distraction no matter what it is.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker 2: And then there's, you
know, on, say, Facebook, Instagram,
YouTube, any of them, there's an
algorithm there- uh, exaggerating
that tendency in the screen- Yeah
and, um, keeping you there that can
reveal Circle doesn't have an algorithm.
So there's that at least.
Speaker: Yes.
I appreciate that.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And that algorithm, that's aligning us.
Right.
That is trying to put us
in line with something.
Actually, as the more I think about
the alignment cards, the more I'm
realizing everywhere something
is vying to be a- to align us.
Mm.
And so it has to be, we have to
be really particular and strategic
about what we choose to have in
front of our faces, what we choose
to have running through our heads.
Um, and I think alignment cards do that.
It helps me to take these little
pockets of time when I have my
coffee in the microwave for 30
seconds or I'm washing out a dish.
I've been really trying to, okay,
I'm actually gonna read the alignment
cards, and I do find it helpful.
Um, another kind of unorthodox one
I've done is I realized that when
I put sticky notes on my window
over the sink, I actually couldn't
really see the writing really
because the sun was shining through.
And so I have a few where I've taken,
um, mask- like, painter's tape, and
I have that on the molding and have
written on that, and that I really like.
Um, so I have written on a piece
of tape, um, " Quick to hear,
slow to speak, slow to anger."
And so th- that is something
that I need on repeat to see.
Speaker 2: I haven't seen that before.
I like that, just write,
right on the tape.
Yeah.
And that, that tape is
gonna be safe on the paint.
Yeah.
And it's color.
Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker 2: Awesome.
Speaker: Yeah.
Yeah.
I have found that to be more
successful in actually noticing
it, um, for those particularâ¦
Those are less words, so it
works better on the tape-
Speaker 2: Mm-hmm
⦠Speaker: than a full
quote or a full verse.
Speaker 2: Right.
Right.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker 2: See that.
Speaker: Inside Convivial Circle someone
had said that they put alignment, uh,
alignment cards on their computer.
And I just thought that that was genius.
And so I did takeâ¦
So I have rejoice always, pray without
ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances.
Those are cards on the computer
that myself and my girls use.
And so, and I al- I do, I
choose my favorite colors.
I choose, you have your purples,
I have my blues and my greens.
Those are the colors that I like.
Speaker 2: That's right.
And it draws your attention and
you're like, "Oh, this is me."
Yeah.
Speaker: Yep.
Speaker 2: So, like, just on the, like,
the perimeter of the monitor on your-
Speaker: Yeah, just on the perimeter.
Yep.
Speaker 2: Nice.
Speaker: Yeah.
And then because I am always
battling perfectionism I never
know what to do with the old cards.
It seems really sad to throw them away, so
I have a file folder of alignment cards.
I don't know, someday when
I'm dead and gone my children
will have to go through them.
They'll be all stuck together and
splattered with spaghetti sauce andâ¦
Faded from the sun, but they'll,
there'll be a folder for them.
Mm-hmm.
Speaker 2: That's whatâ¦
How often do you change them out?
Or does there, is there a particular
thing that prompts you to change them out?
Speaker: Yeah.
I, I have enjoyed inside Convivial
Circle for the last couple months
I have used the ones that you
have put on the brain dump papers.
And so I have liked doing that.
Um, I don't really know.
I just find quotes that I really, really
like, and then I keep them up for a while.
But when I start to not even notice them
at all, that's when I've been taking
them down and putting up a different
color, um, trying the tape, trying
putting something on our computer
because I'm just, I'm getting used to
seeing them where I always see them.
Speaker 2: Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
That's great.
Speaker: What do you do with
your old alignment cards?
Speaker 2: I throw them away.
Speaker: I knew it.
I knew it.
Okay, but do you have, do
you have something where you
keep your favorite quotes?
Speaker 2: Yes.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Yeah.
I have a document on my computer that,
where I keep, like, you know, it's a
commonplace that's searchable basically.
Speaker: Oh, yes.
Yeah.
Very nice.
' Speaker 2: Cause I have to find all
those quotes for the texts every day.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker 2: So
Speaker: I love those.
I, I love those too, I never delete
the text thread because I might
need that one, that one quote.
I keep them all.
I've never deleted a
text message from you.
If you wanna know more about
what this whole alignment card
business is, then you need to join
us for all of Organize October.
When you sign up to get the daily Organize
October emails with a new episode and
encouragement every day in October,
you'll also, you'll also get the instant
replay for the kickoff workshop that we
did at the, on October 1st, all about
alignment cards, what they are, why
they work, and how to get set up quickly
and easily This month, I wanna help you
notice what your attitude really is,
notice what story is playing in your
mind, and align it, get it straightened
out with scripture and God's truth
So stay tuned for all of Organize October
and get the extra bonus material by
signing up at simplyconvivial.com/october,
simplyconvivial.com/october.
You can also find that link
and extra resources in the show
notes in the episode description
Remember to repent, rejoice, repeat