Jim is the dad of 7 and a long time volunteer at a wide variety of community activites. He has coached and referreed youth sports for over 20 years, been a leader for both cub and boy scouts, a Junior Achievement volunteer teacher at many grade levels, and an elementary school level catechist. Jim views his calling to be the service of young people (and his vocation as being just a husband and father!)

Jim holds a Master of Science in Computer Science Education from Cardinal Stritch University (and will return to school in Jan '09 to pursue a Master of Arts in Lay Ministry).

Jim's blogs can be found at The Esten Family Chronicles and Those Burning Questions. Jim runs many websites simply for the enjoyment of it.. providing a number of services for traditional tool collectors at Galoot Central, coordinating an annual worldwide gift exchange for tool collectors dubbed Galootaclaus and maintaining his own Parish's web site as well as a prayer intentions site.

Jim has been published in the print version of The Perl Journal and both online and in print for The Cold Fusion Developers Journal.