AMUSEMENT PARKS, KNOEBELS, THRILLS AND LIFE CHANGE.

10 07 2026

PASTOR RUDY SHEPTOCK SOUL MINING JUNE 26 2026

Who remembers these lyrics from the classic song written by of all people, Chuck Barris who was the host of TV’s “The Gong Show?” Freddy “Boom Boom” Cannon sang, “Last night I took a walk after dark, a swinging place called “Palisades Park,” to have some fun and see what I could see-
that’s where the girls are!?” Not only did we sing that song, but I am also one of the many who remember actually going to the amusement park that made its home on the Jersey side of the cliff overlooking the George Washington Bridge. The commercial that invited us to, “Come on Over,” was sung over and over again on both radio and television back in the 60’s. This unique wonderland boasted of hosting the world’s largest outdoor saltwater pool and on a weekend, you could meet 77WABC’s most popular disc jockey Cousin Brucie Morrow decked out in his personal leopard skin jacket welcoming all the pop artists of the day lip synching their latest hits! My sisters even entered the “Little Miss America,” pageant held there every year. They never won but it meant another day at the rides for the Sheptock family.

Going, “on the rides,” was how we labeled a day at the local amusement parks. It was also the way our parents bribed us to stay quiet and behave during Sunday mass. If we were good in church, which wasn’t always the case, then afterwards we would head up Route 46 to Wetson’s Burgers for lunch and Kiddie Land afterwards. It featured miniature versions of the whip, roller coaster, and Ferris wheel but we thought it was big time. Also, in the neighborhood was O’Dowds Dairy which meant ice cream cones, and the Pinebrook Auction where I would help my parents pick out new records for our hi-fi stereo at home. While I owned a few Beatles albums, I still had to compromise with their tastes, so it usually meant more Al Martino and Gene Pitney! I knew all the words of every song on Al Martino’s Spanish Eyes LP.

Another local gem was Bertrand’s Island which made its home on the far side of Lake Hopatcong. It was there we graduated to the bigger rides although that roller coaster seemed to be the biggest thing I had ever witnessed up until that time. We would swim during the day and then change in the car to go, “on the rides,” at night. Nickle night was Tuesday and Thursday so you can bet that most of those outings occurred on those two days of the week. Like Palisades Park, Bertrand’s Island went the way of the dinosaurs by the 70’s. Six Flags Great Adventure wiped places like that out although my memories will always be strong.  We did go “on the rides” when we went “down the shore,” after a day in the ocean. Growing up, my parents would take us to Asbury Park but as teens, we ventured a little further down the parkway to Seaside Heights. Who could have guessed that from 1997 until I moved here to Shamokin in 2021, Cape May County would be home complete with our choices of Wildwood and Ocean City only a few miles from our house. I told my children more times than once that other people are paying big bucks to do what we do on a regular basis right in our own backyard.

I share this because earlier this week, I took my daughter Leah, her husband Jeff and their three beautiful girls to Knoebels for a day of going “on the rides.” Once again, living ten minutes from a great outing that doesn’t cost a fortune is something I don’t take for granted. Most of my family will not go on roller coasters. When my wife and I were dating, we almost broke up at Hershey Park because Terri literally only went on the merry go round. She made me go on all the rides with her dad and while I loved my future father-in-law, sitting next to him wasn’t my idea of romance. I have four children and only Leah goes on roller coasters, so I knew this was my chance to ride the Phoenix and Twister. What a pleasant surprise to Pop-Pop when I learned that my 9-year-old granddaughter Lucia also went on coasters. Needless to say, I did some shaking, rattling and rolling but it was well worth it. We all had a great day and made some sweet memories and made sure that we had ice cream. I love getting the peanut butter Sunday with the raspberry soft serve because it tastes like peanut butter and jelly. There will be more days this summer that I will be going back to Knoebels for the shows and some ice cream. If you are looking for someone to ride one of the coasters with, give me a call. I am a very cheap date. I’m all about leaning forward for the maximum splash! And as for keeping my arms and legs in the boat, sometimes they wander.

I have always thought that life is lots like amusement parks. Many people can’t go because they suffer from motion sickness, so it robs them of much joy and thrills that come when we willingly put ourselves in some ridiculous positions. I have always gotten a kick out of, “The Rotor” which operates like the inside of a giant washing machine. The centrifugal force slams the human bodies smack against the wall while everything else is suspended in midair until it’s over. You can actually throw up and it will stay there until it ends. Then it gets ugly quick! But we do these things because life can get boring without a little added entertainment.     

Let’s face facts, we all could use some dynamic excursions filled with unpredictable twists and turns, exhilarating highs, terrifying drops, and moments of who knows what comes next. It reminds me life will never fit in a nice and neat ordered box. We will slowly go up an incline and before we can catch our breath, scream with ecstasy as we are speeding down a mountain track that jerks us up and down and all around and just when we think it’s over, we are tossed and turned for one more surprise landing. But it is not life and death. It is just a ride. It is just a means to remind us that humanity needs some excitement now and then.  

If life is only about allowing pleasant, non-emotional experiences without having to engage in the real world, where you have no clue what might be on the other side, it can feel forgettable and impractical and dare I say, even boring. But if life means that anything can happen even when you least expect it, then we should be alert and wide awake and ready for action. Life is not just about enjoying watching other people experience the unbelievable,  it’s about you and I being willing to step onto the ride. Growth happens when we trust God even in fear, and when we act on His promises even when we are being thrown around like a pin ball in an arcade game.  

Shouldn’t our walk with Jesus be called, “A Great Adventure?” I know there have been times when my heart survived more than one “Twister” and while my “Impulse,” might have been to seek the “Kiddie Boats,” I needed to trust the captain of my “Galleon,” to survive. Like a “Phoenix,” we will rise from the ashes to grab our seat on the “Giant Wheel,” which will take us to the “Scenic Skyway” in Heaven. Fasten your seatbelts and grab that safety bar because you never know when your path will take you right into a “Skloosh!” And what’s the worst that can happen? Once we get to the “StratosFear,” we will finally see things as they really are.

In summary, faith is like an amusement park–both safe and scary. It can be a place where all your senses get a workout. You can be the designated water bottle holder, or you can face your fear and close your eyes and wave your hands in the air like you don’t care! There is still so much to explore because when you open your eyes, you see the attractions of truth and love, community and fun and when it is time to leave the park, you are not just entertained but changed for good! Thanks, Knoebels for 100 years of making life a more exciting place to dwell.


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ITS ANOTHER OPENING DAY OF BASEBALL!

28 03 2025

RUDY SHEPTOCK MARCH 28 2025

Is there any day as close to perfect as Major League Baseball’s Opening Day? As far back as I can remember, I would have to come up with annual bouts of some type of rare illness to get out of going to school so I wouldn’t miss the fanfare and pageantry. And most of these recollections only occur in glorious black and white! Having attended my first professional contest at Shea Stadum in Flushing, Queens on the final day of the 1968 season, I couldn’t wait for the start of the 1969 campaign. The Mets were hosting the brand-new expansion Montreal Expos in their inaugural game so how could my team blow this one? Miraculously, my sore throat disappeared by 1:10 p.m. and I was shouting, “Lets Go Mets,” so loud, I’m sure Sister Cecilia heard it just down the road. My forever hero, Tom Seaver, was on the mound and when he was taken out for the bullpen, he was up 6-4. Up until then, the Mets had never won on opening day, but the fortune had to change. I was even praying for forgiveness and making deals with God to do anything to tilt the scale in the direction of the orange and blue.

By the top of the ninth inning, the Mets were losing 11-6. The bullpen wasn’t very good at closing out victories in the late 1960’s any more than they can be relied upon to seal the deal in 2025. But I was nine years old, and I believed in comebacks and Santa and that my Dad could walk on water. My father got home from work just in time to fix this embarrassing display. I filled him in on everything he missed because while I wasn’t very good at math, I was a wiz at keeping score of the ballgames. After Kenny Boswell struck out looking, Cleon Jones singled to left off former Mets southpaw, Don Shaw. Ed Charles who we called “The Glider,” followed with a walk. Al Weis popped out to shallow right, but it took three outs to win the old ballgame. Jerry Grote, the Mets catcher and the first player who ever signed a personal autograph for me singled and Jones scored, making it 11-7. Duffy Dyer was sent up to pinch hit and he proceeded to hit a home run. I thought we had tied the game but Dad pointing out my addition was something less than desired, proceeded to poke a pin into my balloon by sharing that the Mets were still behind by a run. It was only 11-10 and the Expos were still winning. I cried out quickly, “No problem, Dad, Amos Otis is up and he is a power threat,” Amos Otis singled and Tommie Agee walked and then the worst that could happen, actually did. Rod Gaspar took strike one. Rod Gaspar took strike two. Rod Gaspar swung and missed for strike three. Now I really felt sick. I don’t think I even ate supper that night, that’s how downtrodden I was.

But as history would prove, these weren’t the same old Mets. These “Amazing Mets,” would win 100 games that season and become the 1969 World Champions even at the 100-1 odds set for them. It was the “Summer of Man Walking on The Moon in July. It was the summer of “Woodstock” in August. But for me, it will forever be the best year a kid who loves baseball could ever experience. On the actual weekend that everyone was buzzing upstate to Max Yasgur’s New York Farm, Dad and I were at Shea Stadium for what was known as “Banner Day.” During the break in between the doubleheader, we fans could walk on the field parading the artistry of kiddom by stealing Mom’s bedsheets and painting them with slogans like, “Even Though We’re in The Red. The New York Mets Are Far from Dead. So come on Mets and Get Ignited. And Get Us Mets Fans So Excited!” Maybe my poetry ability was right up there with my arithmetic skills. But I cherish those times as some of the best moments that I ever experienced. Dad was alive and well. As a child, my whole world revolved around playing baseball, watching baseball and dreaming about baseball. I used to sleep with my Gogel Tires Little League uniform on and it was made of itchy wool! That Miracle Mets team will always be my team and my favorite players ever because they helped a kid who was always a bit of a dreamer learn that going for the impossible is actually the right stuff! It’s the stuff that lasts long after the last out has been made and the last person has vacated the premises.

I just got off facetime with my daughter Abbie. What was she showing me? My twin grandsons were playing together in the back yard with the wiffle ball set they just received for their birthday. Levi is a Phillies fan like his Daddy, John. Benji is a Mets fan like his Pop-Pop. Baseball continues to be a key ingredient in defining our legacy. I coached all my kids from T-ball through high school level softball and baseball. I still love to go and watch the Shamokin Games. I just asked Felicia who is a power threat from the left side of the plate when her next game is. Baseball has never been boring for me. There are so many facets and nuances that must be addressed when it comes to performing well as a team out there on the local diamond. The Commissioner of MLB, Rob Manfred, has single handedly tried to ruin the sport with time clocks and ghost runners. One of the best aspects of this contest was that there were no time limits other than the sun going down and no lights to turn on. How many of us can remember holding on to that last slice of sunlight to keep on playing? One more pitch! One more bat! One more swing! Isn’t that what we all yearn for anyway?

Hope springs eternal on Opening Day! Everyone is in first place. Everyone has a chance to be the champions. All the uniforms are crisp and shining, all the batting statistics and earned run averages are perfect. It may be sunny in San Diego or snowing in Cleveland. It may be the Los Angeles Dodgers or the Omaha Storm Chasers. It may be a 700-million-dollar pitcher or a five year old bonus baby, but for a moment, it is all new. I remember how excited I would get when the groundskeeper lined the field before the game. Mom used to wonder where all her baby powder went when I was young. It was new. It was untouched. It was Spring ready to be sprung.

Maybe that’s why I have a feeling baseball will be played in Heaven. Not only does the Bible start with, “In the Big Inning,” but the whole purpose of the reason why we are all gathered together is to get home. It is always about crossing the plate and coming home. Could this be why, as in life we get so disappointed when the effort of our days end only on second or third? And unlike any other game, I can sacrifice my time at bat to get you home safe where you belong. “Put me in Coach! I’m ready to play, today, look at me, I can be, Centerfield!”


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