> Note that ext3 only journals the meta data,
This is not true. Ext3 can also write data to the journal.
mount(1):
...
Mount options for ext3

 data=journal / data=ordered / data=writeback

   Specifies the journalling mode for file data.  Metadata is always
   jour- naled.  To use modes other than ordered on the root file
   system, pass the mode to the kernel as boot parameter, e.g.
   rootflags=data=journal.

 journal

   All data is committed into the journal prior to being written into
   the main file system.

 ordered

   This is the default mode.  All data is forced directly out to the
   main file system prior to its metadata being committed to the
   journal.
 
 writeback

   Data ordering is not preserved - data may be written into the main
   file system after its metadata has been committed to the journal.
   This is rumoured to be the highest-throughput option.  It guaran-
   tees internal file system integrity, however it can allow old data
   to appear in files after a crash and journal recovery.

-- 
Best regards, Aleksey Cheusov.