In the beginning…
Russ and Linda Murphy, first started singing together while at Texas Tech University in 1972. After graduating, Linda headed west to Los Angeles to sing across the nation and around the world with the Continental Singers and the Wings of Light music groups. At the same time Russ married his high school sweetheart, Saralyn, and moved to Ft. Worth, TX to attend seminary. After seminary, Russ traveled the world singing with his friend, Bill Gammill and later the Lord used Russ and Saralyn to build the largest University Ministry in the world at Indiana Ave. Baptist Church in Lubbock reaching over 1,400 students each week. Russ and Linda did not see each other or speak for over 40 years.
But then everything changed…
On Sunday, June 15th, 2014, Saralyn sent Linda Huckabee a Facebook friend request. However, less than 24 hours later, Saralyn suddenly and unexpectedly died.
After her death, Russ began writing a daily blog on Facebook sharing his struggles and grief journey. Due to overwhelming response, Russ turned those writings into his first book, “Not Alone” (available here). While writing the book, Russ asked his readers to send in stories about Saralyn. In answer to that request, Linda sent Russ a Facebook message saying how much Saralyn had meant to her and what an incredible example of a Godly woman she had been for her. Russ, being moved by Linda’s message, decided to contact Linda to thank her and see how his friend, a friend he hadn’t seen in over 40 years was doing. Russ assumed Linda was married with a family and looked forward to taking them all out to eat while catching up.
Hope renewed…
To his surprise, Linda had never married and was living in Houston near the city where Saralyn’s mother lived. Russ told Linda they should get together over a meal the next time he came to visit his mother-in-law. After numerous phone conversations, texts and messages, Russ realized he was falling in love with his dear friend. Linda’s sweet spirit and tender heart drew him in, and he knew for sure that the Lord, through Saralyn, had brought them together again.
What Russ didn’t know was when Linda first met him in college, she was smitten by him and thanked the Lord saying “You have made me a man!” A mutual friend pulled her aside and let her know that Russ was about to marry his sweetheart, Saralyn. Linda met and became good friends with Saralyn, too. Putting her trust in God, Linda started to pray, “Lord, if You ever want me to marry, please send me a ‘Russ Murphy type’.” Linda was amazed at the way Russ loved the Lord, the loving team that he and Saralyn were in ministry, and all that Russ did musically. When Saralyn died, Linda was heartbroken for Russ, but it still took her a long time to stop seeing him as the Russ of ‘Russ and Saralyn’.
Back in college, Linda committed to live her life “doing life God’s way”. She never married and although she was engaged two and a half times (another book in that!), she never had sex, wanting to do all things God’s way. After the phone conversations, texts, and PM’s on Facebook, Linda’s heart opened to start loving Russ again, over forty years after her prayer to God in college.
Russ and Linda were married on May 1st, 2015. They are now singing and speaking for churches, military events, and prisons, as well as presenting their “Crisis of Faith” teaching series to churches and organizations all across the nation. They are living happily ever after giving testimony about the goodness of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.