How Tarra Parks Turned A Water Scare Into A Herbal Healing Mission

How Tarra Parks Turned A Water Scare Into A Herbal Healing Mission

Tarra Parks’ venture into herbal healing begins with an alarming incident involving contaminated water. As is often the case, when Yah is positioning us for promotion, the first steps of the journey usually begin in a crisis. 

I met Tarra and her family at Sukkot last year. During our conversations, Tarra’s passion for finding healing solutions for those in pain gushed forth from a heart committed to serving others. Recognizing this, I asked Tarra if she would consent to an interview to tell the story of Maker’s Mark Herbals and her belief in natural healing. Her response was a resounding, “Yes!”

Q: I alluded to the mission of Maker’s Mark Herbals in my introduction. Explain the personal crisis catalyst that led you to start this business. Where did your interest in herbal solutions to health and healing begin?

Tarra: Thinking back it still feels like a lot, so naturally it may come through as a lot! My family and I moved from Michigan to Texas in 2022. We had a 3-week stay in the Ft. Worth area before moving to our final (so we thought) destination.  It was only a matter of a week and a half of us being in the new town that my youngest two children, who were 1 and 3 at the time, began spiking very high fevers. Our daughter, who was 1, spiked a fever so high and so fast that she had a febrile seizure. One of the scariest times of my life was holding my shaking baby, seeing her eyes rolled back into her head with no obvious cause, and not knowing a single person to call on for help. While my husband called 911, I ran around the neighborhood screaming for help, while praying over her as I held her in my arms. After that situation, I was quite shaken up and confused. Both of my babies were born at home, they were healthy in Michigan. What was happening in Texas that was causing their bodies to panic?

It took several more weeks to figure it out, but through a series of events, I concluded it had to be the water they were bathing and playing in. I was able to confirm my suspicions by getting the Texas Commission for Environmental Quality involved. We received a 30-page report of their findings and 22 pages were citations against the city for their improper and neglectful actions at the water department.

That event, in and of itself, wasn’t responsible for the creation of Maker’s Mark Herbals.  However, as we were investigating what was going on, we began talking to others in the community.  People who had also moved from other parts of the country shared similar stories of unexplained and unresolved sicknesses and ailments.  Natives to the community seemed to think that these things were just a normal part of life and that the environment and things that went into their bodies were of no consequence to their overall health.  This is when we began to see an opportunity to share what we’ve learned and provide a new perspective on health and wellness with those around us. 

Once in a house of our own, and after having whole house water filtration installed, life began to feel a bit more calm. I was able to pull it together to begin preparing our family to join others for Sukkot, and one of the ways I did so was by making elderberry syrup. My husband suggested I make enough to share with the community, to offer something healthy and readily accessible. It took off very quickly! And that is how Maker’s Mark Herbals was born. 

the parks family
Will and Tarra Parks Family

Thinking back to where my interest in herbal solutions began, I’m taken back to my earlier years of motherhood. Our 3rd daughter was born in 2005 and it wasn’t long after her birth that word made it around my family that one of my cousins had just had his two-year-old shots and then stopped talking. My aunt was blaming the vaccinations. Up until that time it had not occurred to me there was the potential of harm from vaccinations. My eyes were opened to the great debate. Through my pursuit to learn all I could I was introduced to a book by Aviva Romm, a MD who was also a herbalist, called “Vaccinations: A Thoughtful Parent’s Guide: How to Make Safe, Sensible Decisions about the Risks, Benefits, and Alternatives”. 

I was only 23 at that time, but I had the sense to understand the stated reason for vaccinations; and I also had the faith to recognize that we were created with an immune system and that our Creator knew best what we’d need when He created us. It made sense to me that if we treat our bodies well by healthy lifestyle practices, our immune systems would be able to function well and do their jobs of keeping us healthy. 

As situations arose (and we’ve had many), I always looked at and sought alternatives to the norm. Putting herbs to the test and seeing them work in amazing ways is what has kept my interest strong all these years. I am 42 now, and while I have been interested in herbalism for nearly 20 years, I still feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface. Even so, the herbs show up and many, many people are finding their own faith in creation, which I pray leads them to an acknowledgment and deeper understanding of our Creator.  Psalm 104:14 (KJV) states that Yahuah made herbs for the service of man. He has given us all we need through His creation. What an incredible El we serve! HalleluYah!!

Q: The words Maker’s Mark makes me think of the ‘mark’ that has been placed on all Torah believers. What was your inspiration for the name? 

Tarra: Our brand name did not come from either of us. We had reached out to a friend for assistance with designing a logo and it was our friend who named us Maker’s Mark Herbals. It immediately stuck with me. I felt it was perfect – we have a Maker, and He has left His Mark on all creation, including Herbs =  Maker’s Mark Herbals.

makers mark herbals logo

Our brand is currently in the hands of the Trademark Association. I hope we are granted a trademark because at this time I just cannot envision a better fitting name that would perfectly capture everything we stand for as simply and straightforwardly as our current brand name does.

Q: Functional medicine doctors agree that allopathic medicine practically ignores the connection between nutrition, disease, and aging. But even more shocking, many of us have a distorted opinion of what ‘food’ is. I would venture to guess that 90% of what we find in grocery stores is not ‘food’ in the way the Father intended. How do you define food from a biblical standpoint?

Tarra: I wholeheartedly agree. What is even more shocking to me is the history of how we evolved to this place. When you consider the amount of processed foods that fill grocery store shelves, it’s easy to think you could stay in the safe zone by just shopping the perimeter. Unfortunately, that’s just not so. Genetically modified and hybridized foods – man’s foods – are what grocery stores offer. The biblical definition of food could be a whole separate discussion.  Let’s touch on the basics.  

For land animals to be considered food, they must have a split hoof AND chew the cud.  Sea creatures must have fins AND scales.  For vegetation, plants should yield seed after their own kind and trees should bear fruit with seeds in them, after their own kind.  In order to increase production and profit, both plants and animals have been altered in one way or another.  I don’t know that there is anything available to us in our current day that is as it was in the beginning. The domestication and industrialization of animals and vegetation is what has led to the place we are in. It’s a very tough avenue to navigate daily. It requires a lot of effort and certainly doesn’t offer much convenience.  This is a major area where we just seek to do the best we can and ask our Father to protect us and nourish our bodies through the food that we have available to us.

Q: The Daily Mail recently posted a graphic that revealed the forever chemicals that are hidden in popular grocery store items. Shockingly, the accompanying article did not stop there. Research into PFAS revealed that we live in a poison soup bowl of chemical exposure: poisoned landfills, toxic crop soil, toxic tap water, product packaging, air pollution, makeup, electronics, carpets & carpet pads, shampoo, furniture all contribute to destroying our health. This daily exposure has been linked to immune system damage, heart disease, cancer, obesity, autism, and infertility. Knowing this, some may want to throw in the towel on trying to get or stay healthy. What say you?

It’s super easy to become overwhelmed and want to throw in the towel completely. I have never felt entirely without hope, but I have felt very overwhelmed at times. What I try to encourage others and myself with is remembering we should give our thoughts only to controlling our controllables, and surrender what we cannot control entirely to Yahuah. I cannot control the city water that is pumped into my home, but I can make efforts to clean it up with proper filtration methods. Nobody is forcing fast food, processed food, or toxic beverages down my throat. I realize that our many differences affect what is within our control, so my efforts to control my controllables may look different than another person’s, but at the heart of the matter is awareness and intention. Do what you can, improve how you’re able, and aim to simply make your very next choice a healthier one. Keep doing the next right thing time after time and before long you’ll have created healthier habits without becoming so overwhelmed.

Q: Tell us about the typical MMH customer. Where are most people in their health and healing journey by the time they contact you?

Tarra: Our most typical customer has tried pharmaceuticals and either found them to cause very uncomfortable side effects or they’ve found them to be ineffective altogether. Several have come to us with “incurable” diagnoses. As someone who’s been given the same grimm outlook of an “incurable disease” I know what it’s like to receive that news. How do I handle it – I cling to my faith, control my controllables, and aim to do the next right thing. My ability to relate helps me help others empathetically. I’ve also seen herbs show up for many people and give them a renewed sense of joy and purpose in life. It’s really incredible to be in a position to witness such transformation. HalleluYah!

Q: In the past year I was diagnosed with several autoimmune conditions stemming from a leaky gut. After my functional medicine doctor explained the situation, he recommended diet correction (including eliminating all processed foods, seed oils, dairy, and nightshades) supplementation, following blood and other test results. However, one of my healing challenges has been trying to find quality supplements that don’t contain fillers or other contaminants. How hard has it been for you to source the ingredients you use in your product line? What would be your advice for someone like me?

Tarra: 20 years ago, being an ingredient sleuth was challenging, and it certainly hasn’t improved in the right direction. Being on the manufacturing side of the industry and sourcing raw materials has given me an even broader perspective of how great the challenges really are. I have found so many discrepancies between information on websites and what companies share by phone. I don’t trust what’s published on websites. I trust more what I’m told over the phone and via email, but I mostly rely on documentation in the form of COA’s (Certificate of Analysis) and SDS’s (Safety Data Sheet). At the end of the day I am trusting someone, but I go to great lengths to vet every source and supplier. 

Tarra Parks
Tarra Parks

It’s worth mentioning that we don’t have to use many industrial products because we are a small business offering only small-batch products, each one being made, labeled, bottled, and sealed by hand. Many chemicals come into play when machinery enters the mix. The need for fillers to help powders flow better, and solvents to reduce the viscosity of liquids for better flow. Industry impacts a lot. We hope to grow but we will never accept growing beyond what we believe is the very best we can offer. My advice would be to understand that you really need to have your own understanding of your body and how it works, and find someone you can trust along that journey to understanding.

Q: The good news is we are learning that those who have been diagnosed with conditions such as diabetes, dementia or other debilitating illnesses are seeing remarkable improvements and/or positive health outcomes through nutrition. What role do you think Maker’s Mark Herbals play in this?

Tarra: In the year-and-a-half of us being an established company, we have been blessed to have a role in helping many people improve and overcome a variety of conditions, including cataracts, osteoarthritis, pulmonary fibrosis, hormonal imbalances, allergies, osteomyelitis, bronchitis, migraines, inflammatory pain, tension pain, TMJ, nutritional and mineral deficiencies, traumatic wounds including severe burns and internal abscesses, infections, fatigue, kidney and gallbladder stones, cold sores, infant colic, teething and tooth disorders, recovery from surgery, male pattern baldness, alopecia, seborrheic dermatitis, dandruff, eczema, vertigo, healing from miscarriage, endometriosis, and cysts.  I am sure there are situations I am not aware of or that I am not recalling!

Q: What is your vision for the future of MMH? How can this community of believers support your efforts?

Tarra: We have put the future of Maker’s Mark Herbals in our Father’s hands. We see ourselves as mere vessels for His kingdom’s work. We pray daily to be aligned with His will, and we pray about each and every opportunity afforded to us to grow and expand.

We have opted out of opportunities that offer the potential to grow faster than what we feel we can handle, even though some have felt exciting!  We believe if He brings us to it, He will help us through it and we lean on The Ruach to guide us. We hope to be around for a good long while, and maybe even pass things down to our children if we ever have to step out of our roles. We are in it for the long haul, as long as He wills.

Maker’s Mark Herbals Website

Maker’s Mark Facebook Page


The Enemy Is At The Gates

The Enemy Is At The Gates

Most believers are familiar with this passage, which serves as a reminder to avoid living the lifestyle of a drunkard. However, this verse alludes to more than a simple warning against being a drunkard. More importantly, this passage reminds us that the devil is always actively seeking to destroy a believer who is engaged in any sinful practice. This repeated warning can be seen throughout the entire Bible, where kings fall due to their sinful choices and where believers in Yahusha (Jesus) fall away. This passage from the Apostle Peter instructs believers to be watchful, reminding us to stay vigilant. It emphasizes the importance of being on guard, like disciplined disciples and vigilant soldiers protecting a kingdom’s gate.

You Must Remain Situationally Alert

When believers lower their guard, they allow sin to enter their lives and can easily become entangled in the fallen ways of the world instead of staying aligned with the righteous ways of Elohim Yahuah. It is essential to consider the spiritual aspects related to these verses:

Come to Me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I shall give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am meek and humble in heart, and you shall find rest for your beings. For My yoke is gentle, and My burden is light.

Matthew 11:28-30 TS2009

Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.

2 Corinthians 6:14-18

In Deuteronomy 7:3-4, Yahuah warns the children of Israel against the wicked idolatrous practices of the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites:

Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, because they will turn your sons away from Me to worship other gods. Then the Lord’s anger will burn against you, and He will swiftly destroy you.

3 John 1:11 states, “Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God.” Ephesians chapter 5 describes how light cannot be mingled or yoked with darkness, instructing believers not to be partners with the wicked who are on a path of destruction but rather to walk as children of the light being partners with the righteous.

Beware of Enemy Combatants

Many other verses in the Bible emphasize the importance of believers not getting involved with sinful or wicked people or activities, which is a consistent message throughout.1 The point is, that as children of God, we should separate ourselves from those who do not follow Yahuah’s laws and hate evil, just as He does.

The Apostle Paul agrees. In his letter to the Romans, he describes love this way:

Love is to be sincere and active [the real thing—without guile and hypocrisy]. Hate what is evil [detest all ungodliness, do not tolerate wickedness]; hold on tightly to what is good.

Romans 12:9 Amplified Bible

As disciples and imitators of Yahusha who desire to follow God’s laws, we must pause and reflect on our lifestyles, relationships, careers, and devotion to Yahuah’s Torah. We are instructed to be imitators of God (Eloah) and Messiah Yahusha, who always obeyed the laws of his heavenly Father.

Ephesians chapter 5 begins with a list of sinful behaviors to avoid and advises against partnering with those who lead an evil lifestyle. When we consider the broad scope of biblical history, we can clearly observe the spiritual cause and effect that arises when believers align themselves with either Yahuah’s ways or the ways of the world.

During the reigns of righteous leaders like Moses, Joshua, David, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, and Josiah, Israel flourished under Yahuah’s protection. However, in other biblical periods, both the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah strayed from righteousness, engaging in idolatry and worshiping false gods and demons. These sinful decisions resulted in plagues, war, death, and slavery. They ultimately led to the destruction of both kingdoms, where all of the Hebrew tribes were dispersed among the nations as a form of punishment by God.

When the children of Israel yoked themselves with the world’s sinful lifestyle, they no longer retained the hedge of protection provided by Yahuah. They opened the door for evil spiritual powers and principalities to dominate their lives, separating them from their heavenly Father, Yahuah.

When we choose to rebel against Yahuah’s ways and remove his light yoke, we become yoked with Satan, the evil one. This choice leads us down the broad path of destruction. Truly, we have no one to blame but ourselves as Yahuah gave us free will. 

Spiritual Warfare

Every day, believers must make the Joshua 24:15 decision to choose whom they will serve — good or evil, God or Satan. There is no middle ground or grey area, which scripture describes as lukewarm. Revelation 3:15-16 graphically illustrates God’s disgust with those who are lukewarm. We must not kid ourselves or fall prey to false teachings. Many false Christian teachers preach the lie of the tolerance and acceptance of evil. 1 John 2:15-16 makes it clear: if you love the world or the things of the world, the Father is not in you.

Honor the Father’s Rules of Engagement

When the yoke of the world is chosen, it is a dangerous path. And, as Romans 1:24 points out, God will turn the rebellious over to the sinful desires of their own heart. Likewise, as Jeremiah 17:9-10 warns, the heart is deceitful above all things. Furthermore, 2 Timothy 4:3 warns of the very problem we see today as it pertains to this subject, where it reads:

“For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, will multiply teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear something new.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

From a spiritual perspective, one can see many pieces of evidence that lead to idolatry. Paul also cautions against this in 1 Corinthians 10:20, highlighting how engaging in idolatrous practices aligns us with demons. This points to the root of the problem, whereby mankind rejects Yahusha’s easy yoke and light burden.

In today’s world, we witness the persistent efforts of rebellious individuals who reject God’s ways, the Torah, the Gospel, and the laws of liberty. They confidently assert their own understanding as superior. Believers who are perceptive can observe how these individuals, within the “Woke Cultural and Progressive Movement,” subject themselves to numerous layers of human rules and regulations. Ironically, this self-imposed burden further enslaves them under the weight of others’ expectations. By choosing this path, they distance themselves from true freedom and the liberating principles found in the Torah and the Gospel of the Kingdom message.

Consider that when the world imposes laws that starkly contrast biblical morality, it is not simply that they disagree with “religion’s laws” but that such laws have a stark spiritual contrast as well. 1 Timothy 4:1 describes it as follows:

Now the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will depart from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons, through the hypocrisy of liars whose consciences are seared.

HCSB

Make no mistake; we are living in the times of 2 Timothy 4:3, 2 Peter 3:3-4, and 2 Timothy 3:1-5 where it is written:

But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.

English Standard Version (ESV)

Believers must diligently follow the instructions of Luke 21:36, which reads:

But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.

ESV
Open Bible

As we continue to see the world devolve into a perpetual state of wickedness and rebellion against God, now more than ever, we must hold fast to God’s ways, observe the Torah, and work hard to be self-disciplined at all times. We must be imitators of Yahusha Messiah and endure until the end. In Matthew 24:37-39, Yahusha draws a comparison between the end times and the era of Noah. Genesis chapter 6 illustrates the extreme wickedness of humanity during Noah’s time, with their continuous focus on evil thoughts.

The Enemy Is Always At the Gate

We can expect the same to happen again as the end times grow closer. We can already see the passage of numerous laws protecting wickedness and essentially criminalizing the laws of God. It would be no surprise to many believers if wicked leaders eventually declared the entire Bible a hate crime, banning it as we see across the world in many communist countries.

Our only real protection comes from the Father Yahuah, which is only available to believers who walk in righteousness and follow God’s laws and not man’s laws, not yoked with evil but yoked to Messiah. We must remember that scripture teaches us that we are not of this world but sojourners in it. We belong to another kingdom, the kingdom of Yahuah the Father.

However, we as believers do not fear wicked men, but we have a respectful fear of Yah and faith in the promises written in His word.

Be encouraged and be courageous in these turbulent times. Remember that it is written, “But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.” (1 John 4:4 NLT). It is also written that “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him and delivers them.” (Psalm 34:7).

Brothers and sisters, the enemy is at the gates of our spiritual and physical temples. We are always in a state of spiritual warfare against the powers of darkness. Be encouraged brothers and sisters and always remember that Elohim Yahuah’s protection exists in both the physical and spiritual realm and we are only to fear Father Yahuah, keep his commands, trust in him, keep our faith in Messiah Yahusha, and find refuge in His promises. I will close with this passage of encouragement from the Apostle James (James 1:12):

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.

Blessing and Shalom.

FOOTNOTES

1 Proverbs 8:13, Psalm 97:10, Amos 5:15, Psalm 119:104, and Psalm 119:128.