Hello @Texanlisakay Welcome to the forum community, it’s lovely to have you here 
Please do not worry, you are not alone in getting used to using the platform as a new member. I can help you with a few pointers and you will be well on your way!
When you send an application, They get automatically sent when you click the ‘send’ button, so as long as you can see the message in your inbox that has been sent.
If you click on the member’s name in your inbox it will open your application/message with them.
There will be a little grey or green envelope in the bottom right corner of your message and green means your message has been read and grey means it has been sent but not yet read by the other member.
If you use this link to the help desk it has several articles about the inbox and messaging:
https://support.trustedhousesitters.com/hc/en-gb/search?utf8=✓&query=message
New sits normally stay as new on the website I believe for 24 hours after they are posted, but if an owner declines their applications as they were not suitable then the listing can appear as new again. Owners with certain membership types can also ‘boost’ their listing by marking it new again.
Did you know that you can add your THS sitters profile to your forum profile and that way other members can view your profile and offer helpful tips and advice, here is how to add it:
https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/t/how-to-add-a-listing-or-profile-link-to-your-forum-profile
If you need me to do it for you just let me know.
You can also use the spyglass to search for previously discussed topics and they can be great for helping answer questions.
Here are a few you might be interested in:
If you can’t find the answer to any questions feel free to start a new topic.
let us know how everything goes and good luck with your first sit!